Copyright: Copyright © NeoSoft Corp. 1993, 1997.
Citation: Copyright © NeoSoft Corp. 1997. 354 NE Greenwood Ave


Contents
NeoBook® Professional: Help

NeoBook Professional for Windows 95/NT allows you to create electronic publications such as disk-based brochures, training materials, novels, and much more. Click on any of the following topics for more information

NeoBook Professional Topics:

       Main Editing Area

       Menu Commands

       Tool bar

       NeoToon

       Action Event Command Reference

       Glossary

       14 Steps to Create Your First Publication

    ¤    Ordering NeoBook Professional

NeoBook® and NeoSoft® are registered trademarks of NeoSoft Corporation.


Glossary

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Following are common computer-related terms with which you may be unfamiliar and which are not defined elsewhere in this file.

Action Event

This refers to an event triggered when a button is pressed, a page is accessed, or when the book is idle for a set amount of time. You specify what Action will occur (go to another page, play an animation, etc.) when you create a Button, Page or Book (your publication). To do this, use the "Button Action" controls when creating a button, use the "Page Action" controls when editing a page's Attributes, and configure the "Idle Event" settings when editing the Book Setup.

ASCII/ANSI

This refers to plain vanilla text which can contains little formatting or font information. ASCII text is readable by most computer platforms, while ANSI supports additional characters and is readable by most Windows applications. Most word processors and editors are capable of producing both ASCII and ANSI format files (sometimes you must Export the text as "DOS Text" or some such command). If you import text into NeoBook, you should use one of these formats.

.AVI

An animated Windows-format video file.

.BMP

This type of file is used to store bitmap (paint type) pictures.

Button

A button is created using the Button tool from NeoBook's floating Tool Palette. Buttons are created to allow users of your publication to move between pages, run other software, play sound and animation, and other Actions which you set. An invisible button is known as a Hot Spot.

Bytes

Computers store and process information as a series of on (one or white) and off (zero or black) instructions. A series of eight on or off instructions is known as a byte (or an ASCII character). The number of bytes used in a file determines how much memory and disk storage space is required by that file.

Clipboard

When you use the CUT or COPY commands (in the Edit Menu), the currently selected item is written to a temporary storage location, known as the Clipboard. From the Clipboard, the item may be PASTED to a different location or imported to another application. See your Windows documentation for more information regarding the Windows Clipboard.

Compile

This refers to the process of turning your work into a stand-alone application, just like the computer programs you see on shelves in stores. During this process, your publication will be assembled into an EXE-format program which may then be run from Windows without NeoBook being present on the system. You may sell or otherwise distribute publications which NeoBook has Compiled into EXE files.

Compress

To make a file's size smaller by using a routine to strip out space occupied by empty or repeated data.

Copyright

This term refers to an author's ownership of his, her or its (in the case of a company) works. In most cases, you should be very cautious about using work produced by another in your publications. Copyrights cover written material, photos, works of art, computer programs, sound recordings, and just about anything else you might want to use. In turn, copyrights protect the work you do from unauthorized copying by others. Copyright law is beyond the scope of this glossary, but good books are available from your local library on the subject. As a general rule, it is a good idea not to include work produced by others in your publications unless you have obtained their permission to use it (which may sometime involve paying a royalty).

Directory/Subdirectory

The files on your disks are organized into groups known as directories (or directory folders). Each directory usually contains files related to each other. Directories may also contain other directories which are called sub-directories. The directory which contains a sub-directory is known as a root directory.

Drag

A mouse action which consists of pressing the left mouse button, and holding the button down while moving the mouse to a new position on the screen.

Drop

To place an object which is being dragged, by releasing the left mouse button.

Drop-down Menu

When you click on items in the row of categories displayed just below NeoBook's title bar, a list of commands and functions will be displayed. You may click on a command or function on these lists (menus) to enable it. You may also use the ALT key in combination with the underlined letter in the category title to drop down the list of selections.

E-Pub/E-Zine/Electronic Publication

These terms refer to book-like works which are distributed electronically on disks, over networks, etc. An e-zine (or zine) is a title reserved for periodical publications such as newsletters or magazines.

.EXE, File

These letters following a file's name indicate that the file is used to run a software program.

.FLI, Flic or .FLC

Animation file formats produced by AutoDesk Animator and similar animation utilities.

Hot Spot

This refers to an area of your screen which, when clicked on by the user, triggers an Action event. In NeoBook, a Hot Spot is created using the Button tool on the editing Tool Palette. To create a Hot Spot, use the button tool to drag out a button over the desired area. Next, select the button and use the Tool Palette to set the Fill Color to "H" (hollow, making sure to also place a checkmark in the "Transparent" box) and set the Line Width to "None." Hot spots may be placed over graphical images so that an event is triggered whenever the user clicks on a certain part of the image.

.ICO

These letters following a file's name indicate the file contains a Windows-type icon image. Windows-type icons normally use the standard 16-color Windows color palette.

Icon

An icon is a small 32x32 pixel picture representing a commonly used function. Simply click on an icon to activate that function. NeoBook allows you to include icon images on buttons.

.JPG or JPEG

This type of file stores high-resolution images in compressed format.

Path

A file's location on your system is called its "Path." The path consists of the disk drive letter, plus the directories and subdirectories needed to go from the disk's root directory to the subdirectory containing the file (e.g., a file on the C drive which is contained in the CANDIES subdirectory of the COOKBOOK directory would have a path of C:\COOKBOOK\CANDIES\.

.PCX and .PNG

These types of files are used to store bitmap (paint type) pictures in compressed format.

Pixel

A pixel is equivalent to a single dot on your screen. A pixel is the smallest unit used for the screen resolution being displayed. On a standard computer each pixel is composed of a red, a blue and a green phosphor, which are combined to produce the color of the dot. Screen measurement (resolution) is usually expressed in pixels.

Roll-up Window

This is a window or palette which can be "rolled up" when not in use. When rolled-up, only the window's title bar is visible. The title bar may be moved out of the way, to give you more screen space with which to work. Roll-up windows and tool palettes have a small down-arrow button on the right side of their title bars. Click on the down-arrow button to expand or to roll up the window.

Royalties

This refers to a payment made by you to another whose work you have included in your publication. NeoBook itself does not require a royalty for publications you create using its authoring environment, however if you use other people's work in your publication, you should contact them (or their agent) for permission to use their work. You may be required by law to pay them a fee for any of their copyrighted material which you use. In many cases, this can be true for using technologies owned by certain companies (e.g., UNISYS requires payment of a royalty for any use of their GIF format images in a product for sale). See also, Copyright.

Selected Item or Window

An object on a page which has been chosen (with either the Arrow Selector tool, or with the Edit/Select All function). A selected object is active, and you may use the Cut, Copy, Delete, Duplicate and other commands to manipulate that object. Selected objects have a frame placed around them.

Select objects by dragging the mouse to surround the object(s), by clicking on each desired object while holding down the Shift key, or by choosing the Edit/Select All function. You may move a selected object by placing your mouse cursor within the boundaries of this frame and dragging it to a new location. You may resize a selected object by dragging one of the handles (boxes) on the edge of the object's frame. You may set attributes for a single selected item by clicking on that object with the right mouse button.

Tool Palette

When creating a new publication, you will use tools from NeoBook's floating Tool Palette. The tools are contained in a roll-up window which may be dragged by its title bar to another location on your screen.

.TXT or Text File

This file extension usually denotes a file containing plain ASCII text.

Variable

Information which can change, depending on the user's input. You may assign names for each type of information you wish to track in your publication (e.g., you might assign [ANSWER1] to track the user's answer to your first question and [ANSWER2] to track the answer to the second question). You may use the contents of variables to do calculations, display in text, read from files, write to files, etc. Using variables in your publication is for more advanced NeoBook applications. See the section on scripts for more information on how to incorporate them into your publication.

Note that variable names are always surrounded by square brackets "[ ]" and may be placed elsewhere in your publication inside Title/caption text, inside other Action commands, on buttons, etc. For example, you might start your publication with a text entry field which asks the user to type in his/her name, and store the text which the user types in a variable called [Name]. Later in the publication, you might include a button which has "Please press this button [Name] to continue." as its title. Thus, if the user typed in "Julia", later in the publication, she would find a button which was titled "Please press this button Julia to continue."

NeoBook automatically keeps track of the following variables, which may be inserted wherever variables are accepted:

[PageTitle]	     the title of the current page

[PageNumber]	     the number of the current page

[Time]      	     the current time (H:M:S AM/PM)

[DateShort]	     the current date in Windows' short format (e.g., 10/22/98)

[DateLong]	     the current date in Windows' long format (e.g., October 22, 1998)

[Month]       	     the current month in text form (e.g., October)

[Day]           	     the current day in text form (.e.g., Monday)

[Year]          	     the current year (e.g., 1998)

.VOC

This is an audio format from Creative Labs (Sound Blaster).

.WAV

This is the standard Windows audio (sound) file format.

Wildcard characters

These characters are used as place holders during searches. The asterisk (*) character and the question mark (?) are used as wildcard characters. The ? acts as a place holder for a single character, while the * acts as a place holder for all characters in that position and following. E.g., using the string NO?E.T*  to search for  file names would find all files which began with NO and which had any character in the third position and had an E in the fourth position, and which ended with the letters .T plus any characters following the T (such as NOTE.TXT, NOME.TOT or NODE.TNT).


Scripts
Button, Page and Text Actions

Each button, page or hypertext action in NeoBook performs its job based on instructions which tell NeoBook what to do or where to go.

You may assign multiple actions to each button, page or hypertext link to produce powerful functions for your publication. Multiple actions are executed in the order in which you list them.

Simple Actions

You can construct simple scripts without remembering any codes, simply by selecting the "Insert Action" tool in the Button Action or Page Action dialog when editing Button or Page attributes. The "Insert Action" tool will guide you through constructing the Action event. You will choose Actions from the "Basic" listing for most purposes.

Advanced Actions

For more advanced publications, you can choose functions from the Advanced list of Actions. These actions allow your publication to perform calculations, store user input, etc. Many of these use variables to hold user input and other information until you use it in a calculation, display it in another location,or write it to a file.

Hypertext Links

To create a hypertext link, you must insert the instructions into the text file, title or caption itself. Click here for more information on how to include hypertext in your text.


Edit: Select All

Use this command to select everything on the current screen page. Once selected, you may use your mouse to drag the item(s) to a new location, onto another opened publication, to another page tab, or you may use the Copy or Cut commands to place the items onto the Clipboard.


CallSoft
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

By Post:	Callsoft Multi-Lingual Solutions

P.O. Box 81

Rosewater, SA  5013

By Fax:   	(08) 341-0279

or by telephone:   	(08) 341-2291

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


File Selector Browser

The File Browser  aids you when locating files to import, edit, or when saving a publication or animation file to the disk.

At the top of the dialog is the Location  field, which you may use to specify the path to go to. Alternatively, you may scroll through the directories and files shown in the File  window (see below) which is situated just below the Location  field.

To the right of the Location  field are three icons. Clicking the icon on the left will toggle between placing the drives and directories at the top and bottom of the list of files displayed in the File  window. The other two icons switch between horizontal and vertical orientation for the File  and Preview  windows.

In the File  window, you may double click on a drive letter  to change to that drive, or double click on a directory folder  to open that directory.

Double click on the folder pointing left (followed by two dots) to go back one level in the directory tree.

Double clicking on the folder which is followed by a backslash (\) will bring you to the root directory of the current drive.

Clicking on a filename will select that file and load the contents of any compatible file. When the desired file is located, use the OK  button to load the file. NeoBook's main editing area can contain several publications at the same time.

If you wish to see the size, date and other information regarding the files displayed in the File  window, enable the Show File Details  check box at the bottom of the dialog.

If you know a file's name, you may type it in the File Name  field to bring it into the Preview window. If you know a part of the file's name, you may use wildcard characters in the File Type  field. If you wish to search through the entire drive for a File Name,  enable the Search Entire Drive  function at the bottom of the dialog. You may also limit your file list by entering multiple file types separated by spaces (e.g., *.TXT   *.PUB).

When using the Save As function, the File Selector will allow you to specify a new file in which to store the information using the File Name field. You may use the Location field or the File window to change to a new directory. Alternatively, you may use the File  window to browse through your system to find an existing file to replace with the new file (doing this will delete the contents of the original file).

Note: While NeoBook Professional for Windows 95/NT can import files from NeoBook for DOS versions, these files when saved are converted to a format which cannot be read by NeoBook's DOS versions. If you import file publication files from a DOS version, you should use the SAVE AS function to save the file under a new name, or the file will be overwritten, and the DOS version of NeoBook will not be able to read it.

Use the Cancel  button to abort the Open  function.


File: New

Use this function to load a blank editing window, ready for you to create a new electronic publication. Once you have edited the New publication, use the Save As function to store it on your disk.


Arrange: Group

Use this function to group together more than one selected object. Grouped objects may be copied, aligned, moved, etc. just as if they were a single object. Use the Ungroup selection to again treat the objects individually.


Registration Screen
Ordering Information

Scroll down to view international distributors

If you are running a 30-day evaluation copy of this program, each time you load the program or when you select the Help/About menu function, you will be given an opportunity to obtain the current registered version, documentation, technical support and upgrade opportunities. Select the Evaluate button to continue to use the program on a trial basis (up to 30 days).

Once you have purchased the product, you will receive the latest full version of the product, plus a number to type into the Serial Number  field. Click on the OK  button after entering the product serial number and your (or your company's) name. Once you have entered this number, you will not be presented with this screen or with other registration reminders.

If you wish to order the program, click on one of the following distributors. If you cannot find a distributor near you, or if you live in the United States, you may contact or order directly from NeoSoft Corp. We encourage you to purchase from a dealer near you to save time, shipping charges and currency conversion.

Argentina	Australia

Alean SRL	Budgetware

CallSoft

Manaccom, Pty. Ltd.

Portfolio Software

Austria	Belgium

PCC Verlag, PCC Magazin	Adverbo

M-Softwares

OPI/M Softwares

Brazil	Canada

Maple Informatica Ltda	A Bit More than Computers

E-Warehouse/Saturn Solutions

Fred's Favorites

Facts and Figures

Labtop

Lakeshore Solutions

Secure Byte

Softchoice

Chile	Czech Republic

SoftMarket, S.A.    	Jimaz, s.r.o.

Denmark	Finland

Pro-Soft	Pro-Soft

Tietotasku OY

France	Germany

CEPI Sarl	JDS-Software

J.C. les Pleyades V.P.C.    	SMM Software, GmbH

WinShare

Israel	Italy

Software Sources	Systems Comunicazioni

Japan	Luxembourg

P & A Co. Ltd.	Lux-PC

Malaysia	The Netherlands

BizOnLine	BroCo Software

New Zealand	Norway

Simply Shareware	Pro-Soft

Pro Ware Norge

Portugal	Republic of South Africa

Box Shop	Compatible Computing

Troutmann Software

Slovak Republic	Slovenia

Qadra, Inc.	Etera d.o.o.

Spain	Sweden

Friendware, S.L.        	Pro-Soft

Flimpen Konsult AB/Flimpen Data

Madcap AB

Switzerland	United Kingdom

conTEXT Concepts & Texts	Testware Publishing

GFO of Switzerland

You may either call the telephone number listed, or print out the order form (using the File/Print function) and send it via mail, fax, etc. Payments on items ordered directly from NeoSoft Corp. may be made by either check or money order (payable in U.S. Dollars), by major credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express), or by institutional purchase order (on approved credit).

Select the Cancel  button if you prefer to continue to evaluate the product.


Edit: Delete

Use this command to erase the selected item(s). (If the Select All function has been used, all the items on the page will be erased). The item(s) erased from the page is not  placed onto the Clipboard, and cannot be Pasted onto another area or into another publication.


Page: Goto

Use this function to jump to another page in the publication which you are editing. Simply allow your mouse cursor to hover over the Goto function, then click on the desired page listed on the flyout menu. If there are many screen pages in the publication, a dialog will be displayed to allow you to select the page.


Position

Use this dialog to position the item on your page. You may drag the highlighted box to a new position on the page. If the item is scalable, the handles around the highlighted area will be filled, and you may drag these to stretch the item. The coordinates appear in the lower/left corner of the screen. Nudge arrows move the box one pixel at a time in the indicated direction, for precise placement. When the item is in the desired position, click on the OK button to accept the settings. Click on Cancel to return to editing without making any changes.


Window: Cascade

When this option is enabled, publications brought into NeoBook will be placed into overlapping editing windows.


Window: Tile Vertical

When this option is enabled, each publication being edited will be placed into a window which runs from the top of the screen to the bottom. Multiple windows will be arranged side by side.


Window: Tile Horizontal

When this option is enabled, each publication being edited will be placed into a window which runs across the screen from left to right. Multiple windows will be placed one above the other.


Edit: Edit Object
Edit Object

When an Article, Image, Button or Title Text object is selected, this function allows you to edit attributes for the selected object. You may also click on these types of objects with your right mouse button to edit attributes.


Arrange: Ungroup

Use this function to split apart a Group of more than one selected object and to again treat the objects individually. This function will only be active when a group of objects is actually selected.


File Open
File: Open

This command allows you to select  a NeoBook publication's .PUB file to bring into NeoBook for editing. If files are missing from the existing publication, a message will be displayed to tell you which files NeoBook could not locate.


File Close
File: Close

This function removes the currently selected publication editing window from the main editing area. You may also close a publication by using the button on the left side of its title bar.


File Close All
File: Close All

This function clears the main editing area of all publications being edited or viewed.


File: Save

When you have completed editing your publication, you can use this function to save it as a file on your disk. If you choose not to Save your work, it will be lost once the editing window is closed.

If your work has not previously been saved, you should use the Save As function to assign a name to the file in which your publication will be stored.

Note: While NeoBook Professional for Windows 95/NT can import files from NeoBook for DOS versions, these files when saved are converted to a format which cannot be read by NeoBook's DOS versions. If you import file publication files from a DOS version, you should use the SAVE AS function to save the file under a new name, or the file will be overwritten, and the DOS version of NeoBook will not be able to read it.


File Exit
File: Exit

This command exits from the NeoBook Professional program and returns you to Windows.


Edit: Cut

Use this command to remove the currently selected item(s). (If the Select All function has been used, all the items on the page will be selected). The items which are cut are placed onto the Clipboard, where they will remain until replaced by another Cut  or Copy command. Use the Paste command to place the Cut area back onto a page. The Cut area may also be Pasted into another publication being edited by switching to that publication's window, and using the Paste  command.


Page: Add

This function allows you to add new screen pages prior to or following the page you are currently editing. Select the number of screen pages to insert, and then specify whether to add them Before or After the current page. Click on OK to insert the pages, or use the Cancel button to return to editing without inserting new pages.


Edit: Undo

This function removes the last change you made to the publication being edited.


Edit: Create/Edit
Create/Edit

Placing the mouse cursor over this menu item displays a flyout which allows you to choose to edit the currently selected text, image, sound or animation using the associated editing software present on your system. If nothing is selected, you may choose to create an image, text, sound or video file using your editor.


Main Editing Area

NeoBook Professional is used to create electronic publications of many types. Publications consist of screen "pages" onto which you can place text, graphics, interface controls, etc. Once you have placed elements onto the various pages of your publication, you simply use NeoBook's Compile feature to assemble your work into a full-fledged Windows application.

At the top of the NeoBook Professional window is the Title Bar.  You may use the Title Bar to drag the window to another location. The Title Bar contains buttons for minimizing, maximizing and closing the window. Consult your Windows documentation for further information on using the Title Bar.

Below the the Title Bar lies the Menu Bar.  Clicking on any of the titles in the Menu Bar will display a group of related functions,  from which you may select.

Below the Menu Bar is a Button Bar  which contains shortcut buttons for commonly used editing functions. To display the function of a particular button, hold the mouse cursor over the button and a short description will be displayed. On the right side of the Button bar are page-turning buttons. Clicking the button on the far left sends you to the first page of your publication. The button to the right of this sends you to the previous screen page. The central button sends you to the publication's Master Page. The button to the right of the Master Page button sends you to the page following the currently selected page, while the button on the far right sends you to the last page of your publication.

Occupying the main portion of the screen is the Main Editing Area.  Publications are created and loaded into individual windows which are placed in this section. If you have more than one publication open, you may switch between documents simply by clicking on another window (or by clicking on one of the listed documents under the Windows menu). A floating Tool Palette contains the various tools used to lay out your publication's pages. You may use the palette's title bar to drag it to another location, or you may use the palette's roll-up or Palette buttons to minimize the area it occupies.

At the bottom of the window are tabs containing the titles of the screen pages used in the publication, plus a Page Location box in the lower/right corner which shows the current page's number within the publication. You may assign short reference titles to pages, which are reflected on the tabs. You may jump between screen pages simply by clicking on the desired page's tab. You may also reorder the pages by dragging page tabs to new locations.

See the Menu Functions topics for more information on creating, modifying and saving publications using NeoBook.


Tool Bar

Tools from the floating tool palette are used to create the elements which are placed on your publication's screen pages. Click on the tools below to display information about their function:

Title Bar

You can use your mouse to drag the Tool Palette to a new location if it is in your way. You may also use the Roll-up and Palette buttons to further reduce the area occupied by the Tool Palette.

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Roll-Up Button

Using this button will reduce the area occupied by the Tool Palette to just its Title Bar.

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Arrow Selector

Use this tool to select objects on the page, to move an object or group of objects, and to resize. Click on an object using the left mouse button to select it. Select multiple objects by holding down the Shift key while clicking on additional objects, or by dragging the mouse to surround the desired object(s). Move an object or group by clicking on the object with the left mouse button, then dragging the object or group to a new location before releasing the mouse button. To resize an object, click on the desired object. The object will be selected with small, box-like handles around its perimeter. Simply drag one of these handles to resize, or click with the right mouse button to Adjust the object's placement and dimensions. Holding down the Shift key while resizing an object restricts the object's shape. Depending on the object selected, clicking with the right mouse button can allow you to edit other attributes.

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Place Text File

Use this tool to import an ASCII or ANSI text file into your publication. You can create an ASCII/ANSI format file using most editors and word-processors. Simply drag out an area to contain the text. You will be asked to specify the name of the file to import and given an opportunity to set scroll bars, etc. Text files are generally used for longer text objects; use the Title Text tool for inserting short pieces of text for titles, captions, etc. When editing a text file, you may include hypertext jumps and formatting codes. Use the Font selector on the right side of the Tool Bar to change the font used for the text. Use the Title Text tool to places short text objects (such as titles and captions).

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Place Command Button or Hot Spot

Use the button tool to create controls for your publication's viewers to use. Draw a button by dragging this tool. You will then be presented with a dialog which will allow you to set functions for the button.

To create an invisible Hot Spot, simply drag out a button, set functions for the hot spot, and set Fill Pattern to "H" (Hollow) and the Line Width of "None."

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Place Image

Use this tool to load a picture from an image file onto your page. Paint programs and images editors create images in formats (BMP, PCX, TIF, PNG, JPEG, etc.) NeoBook is capable of importing. Simply drag out an area to contain the picture. You will be asked to specify the name of the file to import and given an opportunity to set scroll bars, size the image, etc. You can create hot spots on top of images by using the Button tool.

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Draw Rectangle

Drag this tool to draw boxes or rectangles on your page. Set the attributes for the outline and interior colors using the selections on the right side of the Tool Palette. Holding down the CTRL key while drawing the rectangle will round the corners of the object. You can draw perfect squares by using the Snap to Grid feature, or by holding down the Shift key while resizing the object.

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Draw Ellipse

Drag this tool to draw circles or ovals on your page. Set the attributes for the outline and interior colors using the selections on the right side of the Tool Palette. You can draw perfect circles by using the Snap to Grid feature, or by holding down the Shift key while resizing.

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Draw Line

Drag this tool to draw lines (rules) on your page. Set the attributes for the line's color, width and style using the selections on the right side of the Tool Palette. You can draw perfectly straight lines by enabling the Snap to Grid feature, or by holding down the Shift key while resizing.

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Title Text

To insert short pieces of text (such as for a caption or title) onto your screen page without importing a text file from a word processor or editor. Use the Text File tool to import long documents into your publication. Set the Font and Color for the text using the options on the right side of the tool palette.

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Palette Expand/Shrink

Clicking on this button will reduce the area occupied by the Tool Palette to just the main tools along its left side. You may also use the Roll-up button to shrink the Tool Palette.

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Object Fill Color

Click on this field to select a new color for the currently selected object. If the current publication uses 256 colors, you will be presented with the color palette used for the current screen page. Click on the desired color to choose it. If your publication is being created for 16-million color resolution, you may also adjust the color values using the RGB controls.

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Fill Pattern

Click on this field to add a pattern to the selected object's interior. Use "H" to make the object Hollow and unfilled. Clicking on "S" gives the object a Solid fill in current Fill Color. Click on "Transparent Patterns" to allow objects underneath the current object to show through the selected pattern. You can obtain some great effects with this, including placing a non-functioning patterned button on top of another button (e.g., from the Master Page) which you wish the user to see as disabled.

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Line Color

Click on this field to select a new line color for the currently selected object. If the current publication uses 256 colors, you will be presented with the color palette used for the current screen page.

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Line Width

Click on the arrow at the right side to select from the available line widths for the currently selected object. Selecting None will result in no outline being shown.

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Line Style

Click on the arrow at the right side to choose a different line style (for dotted lines, etc.)

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Font Color

Click on this field to select a new color for the currently selected text. If the current publication uses 256 colors, you will be presented with the color palette used for the current screen page.

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Font

Use this to change the font used to display the currently selected imported Text file, or for Title Text objects. You may select from the Windows fonts installed on your system. Please note that using many fonts can greatly increase the size of your publication. The use of too many fonts is also one of the most common design mistakes made by novices, leading to cluttered-looking pages.

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Nudge tool

This tool moves the selected object(s), one pixel at a time, in the direction indicated by the arrow. Use this to make very fine position adjustments and alignment.

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Help How to use Help
Help: How to use the Help System

When you click on a Help button  while performing a function, you will be presented with information on the purpose of the function and/or how to use it.

You may use the mouse to click on words appearing in [color and underlined] to bring up additional explanations or related topics.

Alternatively, you may enter the Help system from the Help  menu button at the top of NeoBook's screen. This will address more general topics.

Once the Help Window appears, you may simply read the message, or use the buttons near the top of the window to explore further. If you wish to close the Help window, use the File/Exit function, or the button at the top/left corner of the window.

The Contents  button takes you to the opening Help screen, from which you may select further topics.

The Search  button brings up a window which allows you to select from key words contained in the Help file.

The Back  button takes you to the last screen viewed, while the History button lists the topics which you've explored thus far (click on a listed topic to return to it).

The Glossary  button displays definitions of uncommon words found in the Help system.

When there are additional topics related to the current Help screen, the << and >> buttons allow you to page back and forth between the previous and next pages.


Arrange: Align

When more than one object is selected, click on the alignment options, if you do not place a check mark next to Relative to Selected Objects, items will be realigned relative to the publication's screen, rather than to each other. E.g., if you select Top and do not check the Relative box, all selected items will be placed at the Top of the page; but if you do check the Relative box, they will be aligned to the top of the highest selected item.

Click on the OK button to realign the objects, or click on Cancel to return to editing without making any change.


Help Topic Search
Help Topic

This Help Menu function brings up the Search  function of the Help system in a separate window.


CEPI Sarl
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail:           	CEPI Sarl

9, Rue Fontaine-Vieille

04800 Greoux-Les-Bains

France

Fax:         	4-92.78.14.50

or Telephone:       	4-92.787.15.15

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Help/About

Selecting this function displays information about NeoBook Professional and how to contact NeoSoft Corp. about updates and technical support. If you are running a 30-day evaluation version of the program, you will also be presented with a reminder screen.


Options: Set Font ...

Use this function to choose a font from the installed Windows fonts which are present on your system. The selected font will be applied when you use the Text tool.


Option: Set Grid

This function allows you to set the distance (in pixels) between the points on the Grid. When Snap to Grid is enabled, tools and objects will be magnetically attracted to the nearest point on the grid. This makes it easy to precisely line up objects when drawing, resizing or moving.


Menu Commands
Menu Functions

At the top of the main editing screen are a list of drop-down menus. Select any of the topics listed below for more information on how to use the commands in these menus. Drawing tools are covered in the section explaining the floating Tool Palette.

-File- -Edit- -Arrange- -Page- -Book- -Options- -Window- -Help-

File Menu	Edit Menu

 New	Undo

 Open	Cut

 Reopen	Copy

 Save	Paste

 Save As	Delete

 Close	Duplicate

 Close All	Select All

 Print Page	Create/Edit

 Exit	Adjust Object

Edit Object

Arrange Menu	Page Menu

 Bring to Front	Goto

 Send to Back	Add

 Align	Copy

 Group	Move

 Ungroup	Rename

Delete

Attributes

Show Master Items

Book Menu	Options Menu

 Page Layout	Show Grid

 Book Setup	Snap to Grid

 Archive	Show Mouse Position

 File List	Show Debugging Info

 Run	Show Drag & Drop File Selector

 Compile	Show Images

Set Grid

Check Spelling

Set Preferences

Window Menu	Help Menu

 Tile Vertical	Help Topics

 Tile Horizontal

 Cascade	How to Use Help

 1. Window List	About


Edit: Paste

This command places whatever is contained on the Clipboard into the current screen page.


Edit: Copy

Use this command to copy the selected items (If the Select All function has been used, all the objects on the page will be copied). The items copied are placed onto the Clipboard, where they will remain until replaced by another Copy  or Cut command. Use the Paste command to place the Copied items back onto a page. The Copied area may also be Pasted onto another publication being edited by switching to that publication's window, and using the Paste  command.


Arrange: Send to Back

Use this function to place the selected object or group of objects behind all other objects on the current page. Note that some objects, such as buttons and hot spots, should usually be placed on top. When you move a group of objects to the Back, the objects within the group are placed in the same order, but behind other objects which are not part of the group.


Edit: Adjust Object

This function allows you to precisely place the selected object on your screen page. Your screen page is measured in pixels, and you may specify the location (from the top/left corner of the screen, which is 0) for the Left side of the object, the Top of the object, plus the object's Width and Height. Once you have specified new coordinates, you may click on the Apply button to preview the new position, OK to accept the new settings, or Cancel to return to editing without making any changes.


Help Purchasing Info
Purchasing NeoBook Professional

NeoBook Professional may be purchased from the dealers listed in the Registration section of this Help file, and from other dealers worldwide. If you cannot find a dealer in your area which carries this program, you may print a copy of the order form and purchase the program directly from NeoSoft Corp.

NeoSoft may be contacted at:

NeoSoft Corp.

354  NE  GREENWOOD  AVE  SUITE   108

BEND  OR   97701-4631

USA

telephone:  541-389-5489

fax:  541-388-8221

BBS:  541-383-7195

E-mail:  sales@neosoftware.com

WWW site:  http://www.neosoftware.com/~neosft/

CompuServe:  type "GO NEOSOFT" at any "!" prompt

If you have networked systems or would like to purchase NeoBook Professional for multiple systems residing at the same location, you may purchase a network/site license for multiple systems at significant savings. Educational institutions are also entitled to an additional discount on quantity purchases.

NeoSoft Corp. accepts payment by check or money order (drawn in U.S. dollar funds on a U.S. bank), VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express.


Help Order Form
NeoBook Professional Order Form

To find a dealer or distributor in your area, click here. To order directly from NeoSoft Corp., please complete the following form and:

Mail it to:	NeoSoft Corp.

354 NE GREENWOOD AVE SUITE 108

BEND OR  97701-4631

USA

Fax it to:	541-388-8221 (24 hrs.)

or call:	541-389-5489 (weekdays 8:00-5:00 Pacific Standard Time)

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1. Enter your name, shipping address and telephone number below:

Name:	_____________________________________________________

Company:	_____________________________________________________

Address:	_____________________________________________________

:	_____________________________________________________

City:	____________________   State:  __________  Zip:  ___________

Country:	_____________________________________________________

Telephone:	______________________   E-mail: _______________________

    I heard about NeoBook from:    ________________________________________

2. Indicate the number of units and shipping method below:

___  NeoBook Professional for Windows 95/NT*	@ $199.95 ea.	$__________

NeoBook for DOS (also runs under Win 3.1x or OS/2)

___  NeoBook Multimedia Pack	@ $169.95 ea.	$__________

___  NeoBook Professional for DOS*	@ $ 89.95 ea.	$__________

+ shipping:

United States: $5 US Mail, $9 FedEx

Canada/Mexico: $7 Air Mail, $10 UPS, $17 FedEx

Other Nations: $12 Air Mail, $19 FedEx       	$__________

         (Note that FedEx/UPS cannot deliver to PO Boxes)

==========

          TOTAL	$__________

* please call NeoSoft Corp. for pricing on site licenses

3. Indicate the payment method below:

___  I've enclosed a check or money order payable to NeoSoft Corp.

(checks must be drawn in U.S. funds on a U.S. bank)

___  Please charge to my:

         ___  VISA        ___  MasterCard       ___  Discover      ___  American Express

Card number:	_______________________   Expiration date:  _______

Cardholder's signature: _______________________________________


Window: Switch

If you have several publications loaded into the main editing area, you may use this command to switch between editing windows. This is particularly useful when windows are stacked one upon another, obscuring those lying underneath.


File: Save As

When you have completed editing your publication, you can use this function to save it as a file on your disk. If you choose not to Save your work, it will be lost once the editing window is closed.

The Save As  function will prompt you to provide a name for the file in which your work will be stored. You may provide a name for this file in the File Name: field, or you may use the file browser to jump to another directory. If you select a file which already exists, NeoBook will ask if you are certain you wish to replace the existing file contents with the new publication.

Note that NeoBook publications end with the file extension ".PUB".


Arrange: Bring to Front

Use this function to place the selected object or group of objects on top of all other objects on the current page. Some objects, such as buttons and hot spots, should usually be placed on top. When you move a group of objects to the Front, the objects within the group are placed in the same order, but on top of other objects which are not part of the group.


Book: Run

Use this function to test your publication. Buttons will function as they would in a compiled EXE. You may wish first to enable the Options/Show Debugging Info window to allow you to see what commands are being sent when buttons are pressed, etc. If you wish to preview the publication in full-screen mode, first enable the "Run Publication Full Screen" selection in Book Setup's Access options.


Options: Show Debugging Info

Enabling (checking) this option will display a small roll-up window. Use this window to display what is happening (commands and variables being sent to the publication) while you test your publications.


Reopen
File: Reopen

Placing the cursor over this option causes a flyout window containing a list of the most recently opened publications to be displayed. To load one of these publications, simply click on its title.


Print Page

Use this option to print the screen page being displayed in the currently selected publication's editing window.


Print

The Print  dialog allows you to send the the current item to the print device installed in Windows.

The Print What  header gives the currently loaded file's name and shows the Windows print device and port to which the file will be sent.

Margins  allows you to adjust the unprinted space around the edge of the paper. Note that many printers will not print all the way to the paper edge, and that you may have to increase the margin area to avoid cutting off portions of your text. You may specify measurements in increments of either Inches  or Centimeters  by clicking on the radio buttons on the right side of the dialog. If the file you are printing is an image, the margins are not available and the image will be centered on the page.

Header/Footer  allows you to print a line of text at the top and/or the bottom of each sheet printed. Use the "&f" code to automatically insert the filename in either the header or footer. You may also use the "&p" code to insert page numbers in either the header or footer text. "&d" will insert today's date, and "&t" will insert the current time. If you wish to print the "&" character in the header or footer, use "&&".

Other printing Options  allow you to print only a portion of the text which you've highlighted, let you print long lines wrapped to fit onto the paper size used in your printer, and let you send multiple copies to the printer.

Use the Setup  button to change the orientation, paper source bin or other Windows print information. The Print  button begins the printing process, while the Cancel  button returns you to the Viewer without printing.


Adverbo
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Adverbo

Romeinsesteenweg 324

B-1800 Vilvoorde

Via Fax:  	02/267.64.64	     E-mail:  adverbo@infoboard.be

or Via Telephone:	02/267.18.06

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Edit: Duplicate

This option places a copy of the currently selected item(s) onto the page. You might want to think of this as being the same as copying and pasting in a single action.


Option: Show Grid

Enabling this option will cause a grid to be placed over the editing window. This makes it easier to align objects on the screen. The grid does not appear in the compiled publication. Note that the grid becomes magnetic (e.g., objects are drawn to the nearest gridpoint) when Snap to Grid is enabled, and spacing between gridpoints can be set using the Set Grid function..


Labtop
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail to:  	Labtop

7871 Sixth Street

Burnaby, BC  V3N 3M4

Canada

By Fax:       	604-522-4242

or by Telephone:     	604-526-1770

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WindowShare
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail:   	WindowShare/WSKA

32 rue des Frières

B.P. Nº 2078

57051 Metz Cédex

Fax:  	33/87.32.37.75

or Telephone:	33/87.30.85.57

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Compatible Computing
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Compatible Computing

14 10th Street, Greymont

P.O. Box 103

Greymont 2035

Via Fax:  	+27-11-673-2019

or Via Telephone:	+27-11-477-6053

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Softchoice
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail to:        	Softchoice

173 Dufferin, Suite 110

Toronto, ON  M6K 1Y9

Canada

By Fax:         	416-588-9001

or by Telephone:    	416-588-9000

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Image Attributes

Use the image import  tool to load a picture from an image file onto your page. Paint programs and images editors create images in formats (BMP, PCX, TIF, PNG, JPEG, etc.) NeoBook is capable of importing. Simply drag out an area to contain the picture. You will be asked to specify the name of the file to import and given an opportunity to set scroll bars, size the image, etc. You can create hot spots on top of images by using the Button tool.


Alean SRL
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	ALEAN, SRL

Av. Gaona 2482

1416 Capital Federal

Buenos Aires

Via Fax:  	+54-1-958-0315

or Via Telephone:	+54-1-582-2568

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BizOnLine
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	BizOnLine (M) Sdn Bhd

19-2, Jalan 1/76

Desa Pandan

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Via Fax:  	03-982-7282

or Via Telephone:	03-983-4545

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OPI/M Softwares
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:	OPI/M Softwares

rue J-L Sauveur 82B

4040 Herstal

Via Fax:   	32-04-248.27.87

or via Telephone:	32-04-248.27.87

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Box Shop
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Box Shop

Rua 5 de Outubro, 8

2700 Amadora

Via Fax:  	492-3787

or Via Telephone:	491-5333

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BroCo Software
NeoBook Professional Bestellung

BroCo Software

Postbus 446

3760 AK SOEST

Nederland

of Fax:  	(0) 35-6014012	of e-mail:   eric@broco.nl

of telefonische:	(0) 35-6026650 (orderlijn)	of internet: http://www.broco.nl

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Budgetware
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

By Post: 	Budgetware

P.O. Box 496

Newton, NSW 2042

By Fax:  	(02) 516-4236

or by Telephone:	(02) 519-4233

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Page: Page Attribute
Page: Attributes

Use this option to configure properties for each page. These settings are split among three tabbed pages: General Settings, Page Action and Color Palette. Click on the tabs to set properties under each tab. If you wish the page attributes you've selected to be used for all the pages in your publication, check the Copy to All Pages box. Click on OK to return to editing using the new attributes, or click on Cancel to return to editing without changing the page.

General Settings

Use Page Title to specify a reference name or number for each page. These titles appear on tabs at the bottom of NeoBook's editing screen. If no title is specified, NeoBook will assign a number to the page. Page titles must be unique, you cannot create two pages with the same name in a single publication.

You may also choose a Page Background for each page. You may select a Solid Color background by clicking on the arrow button on the right side (the colors available are determined by the palette assigned to this page). You may instead use a graphic file as Wallpaper by choosing a file by clicking on the folder button at the right side of this field.

If you check the Show Items from Master Page box, objects which have been placed on the Master Page will be displayed on this page also.

When the page is accessed by the user, the page can be drawn on the screen using a variety of NeoBook Special Effects. These slow down loading of the new page somewhat, but can be very dramatic. Simply click on the arrow button to select from dissolves, slides, explode/implode, splits, weaves or wipes. You can experiment with different Speed settings to adjust the effect.

Note: You may wish to test special effects if your publication will be run on machines using limited color palettes (i.e., systems only capable of displaying 16 or 256 color resolutions). Some color shifting can occur in these lower resolutions, unless both the page having the Special Effect and the page calling that page have the same or very similar palettes.

Page Action

Use this dialog to set Actions which will occur automatically each time this page is accessed by your readers.

Two Page Actions that you may wish to combine are the Delay action, followed by an action to call another page (GotoPage). This allows you to construct a self-running, timed "slide-show" type presentation.

Color Palette

The Color Palette dialog is used when you create a publication in 256-color mode. You may assign individual palettes (each containing 256 colors) to each of your pages. 256-color resolution is supported by many more computers than Hi-Color and True Color modes (which do not use a palette). There are also computers that only display 16-color resolutions, although you will not be able to adjust colors for 16-color palettes, since Windows has control of these.

The dialog contains a window on the left side, showing the current palette assigned to this page. You may click on individual colors in the palette and adjust the selected color using the Red, Green, Blue and Brightness controls. If you would like to restore the palette to its state before you edited the colors, click the Reset Palette button. To restore a single color, click on that color and then click on the Reset Color button. To load a new palette (from a file or from an image), click on the Load Palette button. To save your edited palette as a file for use with other pages or publications, click on the Save Palette button and assign the palette a filename.

When designing a publication which will be viewed by the general public, it is always a good idea to try running a copy of your compiled publication on other systems which display 16 and 256 colors only. This will give you a better idea of how your readers will see your work. Publications designed in 16 or 256 color modes will often be considerably smaller and faster, even on systems designed to run Hi-Color or True Color. You may also wish to consider that too many color palettes and/or too many fonts will increase the size of your publication, and may be visually jarring.


Book: Book Setup
Book Setup

Use this option to configure properties for your final compiled publication or presentation. These settings are split among five tabbed pages: Publication, Access Control, Size/Colors, Idle Event and Language. Click on the tabs to set properties under each tab. Click on OK to return to editing using the new attributes, or click on Cancel to return to editing without changing the publication's properties.

Publication

You may type the publication's Title and Author's name in these fields.

To select an icon for use with the publication, click on the Load Icon button. The icon will be incorporated into the EXE file when you compile your publication. Icons are displayed on the Windows interface and when the publication's window is minimized. Windows icons are in a special graphic format. If you wish to create an icon, you should use a graphic utility designed for producing icons. (NeoSoft Corporation publishes an Icon Editor which is available alone, or inside its QuikMenu 4 Windows application.)

Access Control

The first section of these options allows you to set which keys your readers may use to navigate through your publication. You may wish to activate some of these key options for those users who do not have a mouse, or simply for the convenience of your readers.

Use the Run Publication Full Screen option to have the publication occupy the entire screen when it is run. The Publication Floats on Top feature will cause the compiled publication to be displayed on top of any other applications which might be running when the publication is loaded.

You may also require a password to allow the reader to exit the compiled publication. Check the box to enable this feature, and type the password in the field on the right side. An example of how this might be useful is for a kiosk or other application in which you do not want unauthorized users to exit the publication.

Size/Colors

Use this dialog to set the size of the publication's window (Screen), and the Number of Colors.

Most systems today have monitors capable of displaying a minimum of 640x480 pixels and 256 colors. If you know that the majority of your audience have systems capable of higher resolutions, you might use 800x600 or higher resolutions.

When designing a publication which will be viewed by the general public, it is always a good idea to try running a copy of your compiled publication on other systems which display 16 and 256 colors only. This will give you a better idea of how your readers will see your work. Publications designed in 16 or 256 color modes will often be considerably smaller (easier to fit on disks or download) and faster, even on systems designed to run Hi-Color or True Color. You may also wish to consider that too many color palettes and/or too many fonts will increase the size of your publication, and may be visually jarring.

Publications will be adjusted at run time to work in any Windows resolution, but the publication's appearance may vary, depending on the system which is used.

Idle Event

Use this dialog to select an Action event to take place when there is no keyboard or mouse activity for a specified amount of time. Type in the time (in minutes) that the system must remain idle before the Action is triggered. Next, choose the Action(s) to perform once this time limit is reached.

An example Action which you might want to use would be to return to a menu page (GotoPage) after a specified period. You could use this in a kiosk situation so that new visitors are not confused by a publication or presentation left open in the middle by a previous reader.

Language

If you are creating a publication which will be read primarily in another language, this dialog allows you to set phrases which appear on in the dialogs for the compiled publications.

Simply type in a translation next to their English equivalents. Click on the Save Language button to store the settings in a file on your system. Click the Load Language button to load settings which you've previously Saved. Click the Reset to English button to restore English values for these phrases. Check the Default box if you want to use the current settings each time you load NeoBook.


conTEXT Concepts & Texts
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	conTEXT Concepts & Texts

Steigstrasse 51

CH-8463 Benken

Via Fax:  	(041) 052-433-415

or Via Telephone:	(041) 052-432-422

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Facts and Figures
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:	Facts and Figures

365 Mayfair Avenue

Windsor, ON  N9J 2H6

Canada

or via Telephone:	519-978-0513

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Etera d.o.o.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	ETERA d.o.o.

Polje c.XXXIV/4

Ljubljana 61260

Via Fax:  	+386-61-485-967

or Via Telephone:	+386-485-408

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Flimpen Konsult AB/Flimpen Data
NeoBook Professional Order

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Flimpen Konsul AB/Flimpen Data

G,,rdesv,,gen 1

S-44431 Stenungsund

Via Fax:  	0303-825 01

or Via Telephone:	0303-825 01

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Friendware, S.L.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:	Friendware, S.L.

C/ Rafael Calvo, 40

28010 Madrid

Via Fax:  	308-52 97

or via Telephone:	308-34 46

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Fred's Favorites
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Fred's Favorites

P.O. Box 2542

Dartmouth, NS  B2W-4B7

Via Fax:  	902-434-1890

or Via Telephone:	902-462-4453

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GFO of Switzerland
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, contact:

Per Post:  	GFO of Switzerland

Customer Support

Hinterdorfstrasse 14

CH-8309 Nuerensdorf

Per Fax:   	0041 1 837 0064	(24h )

BBS: 	0041 1 836 4262	(24h )  GIMBOX

Telefon:    	0041 1 836 4272	(24h ) SERVICE Line

Videocall:  	018370064   	Swiss ONLINE Service

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J.C. les Pleyades V.P.C.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	J. C. les Pleyades V.P.C.

1 rue Pasqualini

BP 112

06802 Cagnes Sur Mer Cedex

Via Fax:  	33-93.14.36.75

or Via Telephone:	93.14.01.55

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JDS-Software
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	JDS-Software Jens Driese

Postfach 1269

D-26302 Varel

Via Fax:  	4451-959196

or Via Telephone:	4451-959195

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Jimaz, s.r.o.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	JIMAZ s.r.o.

Hermanova 37

170  00  Praha 7

Via Fax:  	(02) -378103

or Via Telephone:	(02) -379498

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Lux-PC
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	LUX-PC

234, route d'Esch

L-1471 Luxembourg

Via Fax:  	352-48.53.06

or Via Telephone:	352-48.52.97

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Madcap AB
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:	Madcap AB

Sunnangardet

S-685  93 Torsby

Via Fax:  	0560-42320

or via Telephone:	0560-42395

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M-Softwares
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:	M-Softwares, c/o Flash Electronique

rue de la Province, 26

B-4020 Liege

Telephone:	32-4-3440438	E-mail: flash@cybernet.be

Fax:	32-4-3441955

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Manaccom, Pty. Ltd.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

By Post:   	Manaccom, Pty. Ltd.

Unit 23, Milton Village

Lange Pde.

Milton, Qld.  4064

By Fax:    	(07) 3870-9440	    E-mail: manaccom@manac.com.au

or by Telephone:   	1-800-777-601  or  (07) 3870-4900

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Maple Informatica Ltda
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Maple Informatica Ltda

CAIXA Postal 54201

01296 Sao Paulo, SP

Via Fax:  	11-826-5375

or Via Telephone:	11-825-9390

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P & A Co. Ltd.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	P & A Company Ltd.

1-3-6-2 Kamisunacho

Tachikawa Tokyo, 190

Via Fax:  	(81)-425-35-9902

or Via Telephone:	(81)-425-35-9901

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PCC Verlag, PCC Magazin
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:   	PCC Verlag, PCC Magazin

Paul Ernst Weg 2

A-8430 Leibnitz

Via Fax:   	03452/73497

or via Telephone:     	03452/73397

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Copy to All
Copy Page Attributes

When you check the Copy to All Pages checkbox, you may specify which of the Page's settings you wish to be copied to all the other pages in your publication. Click Background, Display Effect, Action Script and/or Palette to select those settings. A mark in the checkbox indicates that those settings will be applied to all other pages. Click on OK to accept your selections, or click on Cancel to return to editing the Page Attributes without making changes.


Portfolio Software
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail it to:   	Portfolio Software

P.O. Box 443

Panania, NSW  2213

Australia

Fax it to:   	(02) 9774-2190 (country code for Australia is 61)

or Telephone:     	(02) 9962-8468

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Qadra, Inc.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	QADRA, Inc.

SNP 30

92701 Sala

Via Fax:  	+42-706-4444

or Via Telephone:	+42-706-4444

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Pro Ware Norge
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Pro Ware Norge

Postboks 215

2070 Raholt

Via Fax:  	+47-63-954462

or Via Telephone:	+47-63-954077

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Pro-Soft
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order (in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland), please contact:

Mail/Post:	Pro-Soft

Benloese Skel 4 G

DK-4100 Ringsted

Denmark

Fax:  	45/53.61.93.91	BBS:	45/57.67.17.47

Telephone:	45/53.61.90.42	WWW:	http://www.prosoft.dk

E-mail:	support@prosoft.dk	CompuServe:	100065,1744

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SoftMarket, S.A.
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	SoftMarket, S.A.

San Pacual 107

Las Condes, Santiago

Via Fax:  	2082450

or Via Telephone:	2061343

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Simply Shareware
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail to:	Simply Shareware

P.O. Box 229

Masterton 5901

New Zealand

or you may call if using a credit card or for further information

Fax:  	(06) 378-9915 (24 hours)

Telephone:	(06) 378-9916 (9:30am to 5:00pm, Monday-Friday)

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SMM Software, GmbH
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	SMM Software GmbH

Herman-L''n Str.  12

55254 Budenheim

Via Fax:  	06139-916108

or Via Telephone:	06139-916916

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Page: Move

Use this function to relocate the current screen page to another point in your publication. Click on the This Page field to locate a page adjacent to the desired new location, the click on Before or After to insert the page prior to or following that page. Press the OK button to relocate the page, or click on Cancel to return to editing without moving the page. You may also move a page by dragging its titled tab to a new location along the bottom of the editing screen.


Software Sources
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Software Sources

Hasharon Street 64

P.O. Box 639

Raanana 43106

Via Fax:  	972-9-7712194

or Via Telephone:	972-9-7712194

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Page: Copy

This function copies the current screen page and its contents to a new page which is placed following the current page. The new page may be edited, Renamed, or relocated using the Move function (or by dragging its tab to a new location along the bottom of the editing screen).


Systems Comunicazioni
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, contact:

Lo spedisca at:  	Systems Comunicazioni, s.r.l.

Via Olanda 6

20083 Gaggiano (Ml)

Italia

Lo invii per fax allo:  	(02) 908.41.682

Chiami lo:	(02) 908.41.814

Mandi un messaggio elettronico a:e-mail:   info@systems.it

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Testware Publishing
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Mail it to:	Testware Publishing

46 The Avenue, Harrogate, North Yorkshire

United Kingdom, HG1-4QD

Fax it to:  	01423-889728 (24 hours)	  E-mail:  order@testware.co.uk

or call:	01423-886415 (9am to 5pm, Monday-Friday)

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1. Enter your name, shipping address and telephone number below:

Name:	___________________________________________________

Company:	___________________________________________________

Address:	___________________________________________________

         	  	___________________________________________________

         	  	___________________________________________________

Post Code:	__________________    Country:   _______________________

Telephone:	___________________________________________________

      I heard about QuikMenu 4 Windows from:   _____________________________

2. Indicate the number of units and shipping method below:

___  NeoBook Professional for 32-bit Windows*	@ £133.66 ea.	£__________

         Plus VAT @ 17.5% (for UK and EC)	    £ 23.30 ea.	£__________

 TOTAL = £156.30 each

+ shipping:

United Kingdom and Europe: add 2 pounds

Rest of the world: add 4 pounds	£__________

* please call for pricing on site licenses and dealer info	===========

TOTAL  	£__________

3. Indicate the payment method below:

___  I've enclosed a cheque made payable to Testware Publishing.

              (must be drawn on a U.K. bank)

___  VISA      ___  MasterCard      ___  Switch      ___  Delta/Connect/Debit Cards

Card number:	____________________________________________

Expires:  ________________       Switch Issue No.:  ________________

Cardholder's signature: ______________________________________


Tietotasku OY
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Tietotasku Oy

Mechelininkatu 16

00100 Helsinki

Finland

Via Fax:  	358-0 490-983

or Via Telephone:	358-0 490-383

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Page: Rename

Use this function to give a new title to the screen page which you are currently editing. Simply type the new title into the space provided, then click on OK to save the change or Cancel to return to editing without renaming the page. Note that links from other pages to this page will be automatically updated to reflect the new title.


Troutmann Software
NeoBook Professional Orders

To order, please contact:

Via Post:  	Troutmann Software

Puerta Fernao Mendes Pinto

Lote 5

2800 Alamada

Via Fax:  	351-1-2740033

or Via Telephone:	351-1-2740033

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Text Attributes

Use the text import tool to import an ASCII or ANSI text file into your publication. You can create an ASCII/ANSI format file using most editors and word-processors. Simply drag out an area to contain the text. You will be asked to specify the name of the file to import and given an opportunity to set scroll bars, etc. Text files are generally used for longer text objects; use the Title Text tool for inserting short pieces of text for titles, captions, etc. When editing a text file, you may include hypertext jumps and formatting codes. Use the Font selector on the right side of the Tool Bar to change the font used for the text. Use the Title Text tool to places short text objects (such as titles and captions).


Page: Delete

This function will remove the current screen page from your publication.


Option: Snap to Grid

This option causes the grid (see also Set Grid function) to be magnetic. In other words, objects being drawn, moved or resized will be attracted to the nearest grid point.


Option: Show Images

Enabling this option will replace the images on your page with frames containing X's. Using this option speeds redrawing the screen on systems with slower video. The images will still appear in your compiled publication.


Option: Show Mouse Position

Enabling this option will display a small window containing the screen coordinates (horizontal x vertical pixels as measured from the top/left corner of the publication) of your mouse cursor. When moving an object, the position reflects the top/left corner of the object. When drawing an object, the window reflects the size of the object being drawn (horizontal x vertical). This window is for editing purposes only, and will not appear in your compiled publication.


Option: Drag & Drop File Selector

When this option is checked, a small window is displayed which shows the directory folders and files on your system. You may drag files directly from this roll-up onto your publication, and the contents of the file will be placed on the current screen page. This is the quickest way to import several text/graphic/sound/animation/video files into your page.


Check Spelling

This function checks your text and allows you to identify and correct misspelled words. When your mouse cursor is over this menu item, you will be given the opportunity to check spelling for the Entire Publication, or to limit the spelling check to the current screen page or the currently selected item(s) on the page.

If words which are misspelled or unknown are identified within your text, they will be displayed in the "Unknown Word"  box. Above Unknown Word,  the "Context"  box shows how the word is used in the text. The "Change to"  box displays a suggested alternative spelling, and below this is given a list of other, similar alternatives from which you may select.

To accept the suggested spelling, simply click on the Change  button. To correct all occurrences of this "Unknown Word"  throughout the text, click on the Change All  button.

To leave the "Unknown Word"  as it is, click on the Skip  button. If you click on the Skip All  button, all occurrences of the "Unknown Word"  will be left in their original form.

If the "Unknown Word"  is a spelling which you use frequently, then you may wish to use the Add to Dictionary  button to place the word into the spelling dictionary. This will prevent this word from being flagged as unknown in future spell checks.

If the spelling suggested in the "Change to"  box is not the word you wish to use, you may click on one of the alternatives displayed in the area below this field. If none of the suggested alternatives are acceptable, you may type the correct word into the "Change to"  box before clicking on the Change  button.

Use the Close  button to end the spelling check function and return you to editing your text.


Book: File List

This function shows the name and location of all the source files being used to build the currently selected publication. It's a quick way to locate the name of a file, print out a record of the files you've used, or look into how a sample publication was constructed.

Use the Print button to send the information to your printer. The Close button returns you to the publication editing screen. See also Archive.


Book: Archive

Use this function to copy all of the source files used in the publication to another directory folder or drive. Simply specify the drive/directory on the line provided, or click on the folder icon at the right side to browse through and select another drive and/or directory folder.

Aside from being a great way to back-up your work, this is a fast way to gather all the files used in your publication into one spot on your system.


Page: Show Master Items

Enabling this option will activate items you placed on the Master Page on the currently selected page as well.


Master Page

If you have buttons, images, that will be used on most (or all) of the screen pages in your publication, you may create these elements on the Master Page, and have them automatically displayed on other pages without having to recreate them. Use the Page/Show Master Items option to display the Master Page objects on another page.

To create a Master Page, simply select the center VCR button on NeoBook's icon bar, select the Master Page tab at the bottom of NeoBook's window, or use Goto/Master Page from the Page menu. Use the tools to create buttons, graphical elements, etc. just as you would for any other screen page.

Placing common items on the Master Page, instead of placing individual objects on each page, can significantly reduce the size of your publication and increase its speed. It can also save you a lot of time in creating a publication. And what if you want some of the elements from the Master Page to be displayed on a particular page, but not others? Simply draw another object on top of the item's you do not want displayed.


Book: Page Layout

Use this function for an overview of the screen pages in your publication. On the left side are displayed the pages contained in the current publication. Click on a page to select it.  If you check the Show Images box, images within each page will also be displayed (though this may be slow on some systems).

You can edit how pages appear in the publication by using the Add, Copy, Move, Rename and Delete buttons. The two Arrow buttons allow you to move the selected page up or down in the page order. Use the Close button to accept the changes you've made and return to editing.


Option: Set Preferences
Options: Set Preferences

Use this option to configure how NeoBook works. These options only effect your editing sessions; they do not affect your compiled publications (use Book Setup under the Book menu to set how your compiled publication will work). The settings are split among three tabbed pages: General, Utilities and Action Editor. Click on the tabs to set preferences under each tab. Click on OK to return to editing using the new settings, or click on Cancel to return to editing without changing the settings.

General

Check Undo On to enable the Undo feature. Disabling Undo can improve performance on some slower systems.

Enable the Create Backup Files option if you wish a copy of the previously saved version to be retained whenever you Save your publications. The Backup file will have .BAK as its filename extension. While creating backup files consumes extra hard disk space, this may prove invaluable should your publication file become corrupted (by Windows, disk compression, power failure, bad disk sectors, etc.) NEVER try to Save a corrupted file, as this can overwrite your backup. Instead, when you find that your publication has been corrupted, use your File Manager (e.g., Explorer, QuikMenu File Manager, etc.) to rename the backup file to a publication file (e.g., from SAMPLE.BAK to SAMPLE1.PUB) before attempting to Save the corrupted publication. This way, at most you'll only lose the edits you made since you last edited the publication.

Check the Automatically Update Text and Image Files box when you want NeoBook to display edits made to text articles and pictures by other software. If you leave this option unchecked, NeoBook will display articles/images as they were when NeoBook loaded the publication (which can speed performance on some systems). Leaving this option unchecked does not affect your compiled publications, as the files will be reread and updated when you compile the publication.

You may also choose between using Windows Explorer type dialogs when selecting files, or using NeoSoft's file browser.

Utilities

This is where you specify the programs which are used when you click on Create/Edit from the Edit menu. You may use the editors which Windows detects are compatible with the currently selected object, or you may specify other editing applications which are present on your system.

To specify your own editors, click on the Use the Appropriate Editor Specified Below option. Type in the location and command for text, image, sound and video editors. You may also browse through and select from the files on your system by clicking on the folder button at the right side of each field.

Action Editor

Use this dialog to specify colors and fonts for the Action event editor windows.


Book: Compile

Use this option to set properties used for your final publication and to produce the final stand-alone program which you may distribute. These settings are split among five tabbed pages: General Settings, Files, Fonts, Extracted Files and Setup/Installation. Click on the tabs to set properties found under each tab.

Once you have finished setting up how the publication will be written, click on the Compile button to produce a stand-alone publication using these attributes. If you do not wish to compile the publication at this time, click on Cancel to return to editing without compiling the publication. If you wish to cancel any changes you've made and return the settings to their original configuration, click on the Defaults button.

General Settings

Use the Compile to: field to assign a filename for your compiled publication's program. By default, the program is given the same name as the publication's uncompiled PUB file. Use the folder button on the right side of the field to browse through the directories and files on your system.

Click on one of the options under the Type of Compiled Publication field to determine what kind of program to be written. Most publications will use the Application (EXE) option to produce a stand-alone program which may be run by the end-user just as they would run any other Windows application. You may also use NeoBook to write a Screen Saver (SCR) file, which users may set up to pop-up after their systems have remained idle for a period of time. Screen savers are specified in the Windows Control Panel, under the Display Properties/Screen Saver option.

Note that you should not normally display static pages when producing a publication to be used as a screen saver, as these will not protect the monitor from screen burn-in. Effective screen savers would include timed display of pages (using the Delay and GotoPage action events) or the use of NeoToon animations on a black background. However, since most newer monitors no longer require that a screen saver be used, you may wish to use a publication that does not completely blank the screen (such as a slide show for advertising purposes, background scenery, etc.).

When you choose Screen Saver, the ESC key always is enabled to allow the user to exit back to Windows. The Screen Saver publication also must run in Full Screen mode, so the Window Behavior options are disabled. The Require Password to Exit function is also disabled, as Windows already includes a password feature for exiting from Screen Saver mode. See Book Setup's Access Control topic for further information.

If you wish your Screen Saver to have a configuation option that may be accessed from the Windows Control Panel, create a page titled "Config" and place buttons there for setting options. You can use the FileRead and FileWrite actions to save setting changes.

Check the Create Setup Program and Installation Disk(s) box if you wish NeoBook to create a program for users to install your publication onto their computer. As well as being a convenience for the users of your publication, this allows you to span very large publications across more than one diskette. (See below for options.)

Files

This page gives you the option to either place all files inside the final publication's compiled EXE, or to leave certain files as separate on the disk. This affects only those files which must be extracted to be played (such as multimedia AVI, MID, MOV or WAV files). The advantage of compiling all files inside the publication is that this makes it much more difficult for someone to modify elements of your publication. The advantage of leaving multimedia files outside the compiled publication is that they will execute faster when your publication is run on drives with slow access (such as a CD-ROM).

If you elect to leave some files external to the publication, you will also be given the opportunity to specify a separate directory folder into which to copy these external files. We strongly recommend that you use an empty directory on your drive, to avoid including files which are not needed by the compiled publication. When run, these files must reside in the same directory folder as the compiled EXE file. If you choose to have NeoBook create a Setup program for your publication, then you need not specify this directory.

Fonts

Some font vendors may not allow their copyrighted font faces to be used within other publications (even though these fonts are not accessible to the end-user). Since these policies may vary, depending on where you acquired the fonts you use in your publication, and since fonts affect the size of your final publication, we have included several options for handling fonts.

Note: There are many available freeware fonts which you may distribute with your publications. We include a few of these with NeoBook. Use the Windows Control Panel to install fonts onto your system.

- Options:

Include Only Fonts not part of Basic Windows Installation will only place fonts inside your publication which are not installed with Windows (such as Arial, Wingdings and Times New Roman). The advantages of this option are that your publication will be smaller and that it will load a bit faster. The disadvantage is that if the end user has removed the basic Windows fonts, your text may not appear exactly as you intended.

Don't Include Any Fonts will use fonts already installed on the end-user's computer. The advantage of this option is that your publication will be smaller and load a bit faster. The disadvantage is that you will have less control over the look of the fonts in your publication, as it will be up to Windows to choose substitues for any missing fonts..

Include All Fonts will place all fonts used in your publication into the compiled program. The advantage of this option is that your fonts will display exactly as you intended. The disadvantage is that your compiled program will be larger (and if you use many fonts, it can be much larger).

Include Selected Fonts will allow you to choose which fonts to use inside the compiled program. Simply click to highlight the fonts to include. The advantage is that you can choose to include fonts used for prominent text, while allowing NeoBook to substitute other fonts for all other text. The disadvantage is that some text may not appear exactly as you intended.

Extracted Files

While running the compiled publication program, it is sometimes necessary to swap files to the end-user's hard drive. You have the following options as to where to store these temporary files:

Same Directory as Compiled Publication will place temporary files into the directory folder in which the publication itself resides. This is the recommended option, unless your publication is intended to be distributed on and run from CD-ROM or DVD-ROM discs (which cannot be used to write information). This allows temporary files to be more easily identified and cleaned up should something go wrong (such as a power failure) while your publication is running.

Windows Directory will place any temporary files into the directory folder in which Windows itself resides. This is useful if running from a network, as users will always have access to this directory.

Windows Temporar;y Directory will place any temporary files into the directory folder which Windows uses to store temporary information. This is the preferred option when your publication is intended to be placed on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other write-only media.

Custom Directory allows you to specify another directory folder into which to store any temporary information. It is important that this directory name be valid for the end-user's system, or your publication may not execute correctly and may crash with no explanation. This directory will be created if it does not exist.

The Remove Extracted Files box should be checked, unless you wish the end-user to be able to have access to or modify these files. We strongly recommend that this box be checked, unless you have a specific reason for leaving these files on the end-user's system. If NeoBook created a Custom Directory (see above), it will also be removed.

Setup/Installation

If you checked the Create Setup Program box under the General Settings, you may use these settings to determine how to produce your publication's installation program for the final distribution disk(s).

Build Directory - The drive and directory folder you specify in this field will be used to contain the files needed to create your publication. Click on the folder button to the right of this field to locate a directory on your system.

Media Type - Click on the arrow button to select the type of disk which will be used to distribute your publication. This will prepare the distribution files for use on these type of media (e.g., if you select 1.44 mb diskettes, the publication will be written in sections that will fit on these diskettes). Note that some media devices (such as CD-R or writable DVD) may require that you use a third-party utility to actually write an image of the publication onto the device. NeoBook will prepare the publication file, which you may then place on the media using the appropriate utility.

Suggested Installation Directory - The directory folder specified here will be presented to end users as the default location into which your publication will be installed. The end user will have the opportunity to specify another directory during the installation process.

Suggested Program Folder - The name entered in this field will be used as the default program folder into which your publication will appear (i.e., the heading on the Windows Start bar which will contain the publication). The end-user will have the opportunity to specify another folder name during the installation process. Leave this field blank if you do not wish to specify a default answer.

Setup Title - Use this field to select the title used on the Setup program's screen (e.g., My Publication's Setup). The title you enter will be reflected on the screen preview in the lower right corner of the dialog.

Background Color - Use these buttons to select colors for the gradient background on the Setup program's screen. Your changes will be reflected in the screen preview in the lower right corner of the dialog. For a solid color, select the same color using both buttons.

Text Color -  Use this button to select a color for the text on the Setup program's screen. Your changes will be reflected in the screen preview in the lower right corner of the dialog.

Note: Translation of the text prompts used by the Setup program may be accomplished using the Language option of the Book/Setup menu item.


Action Events

Action Event codes may also be added as hypertext links inside imported text files, as well as on buttons. The codes are listed in alphabetical order, with each Action followed by the syntax for writing the Action, and a short description. Most of these commands are quite simple, but some may become more complex when they accomplish more intricate actions. When in doubt, use the "Insert Action" function to structure your Action events.

Be sure to place the parameters following the Action command inside quote/inch marks (i.e., "). Also note that names for variables may be used in equations and conditional statements.

-A- -B- -C- -D- -E- -F- -G- -I- -M- -P- -R- -S- -T- -W-

AlertBox

Syntax: AlertBox "title" "message"

Display a dialog box containing a title, mesage and an OK button.

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Balloon

Syntax: Balloon "message"

Display a comic book-style speech balloon with a message.

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CloseWindow

Syntax: CloseWindow "window name"

Close a window previously opened with the ImageWindow or TextWindow action. Leave window name blank to close all open windows.

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Delay

Syntax: Delay "milliseconds"

Pause for a specified number of milliseconds (one thousanths of a second).

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DOSCommand

Syntax: DOSCommand "command" "parameters"

Execute an external DOS or Windows application or command. Parameters are items which are passed to the program when it is launched (e.g., the filename for a document to be loaded, command line options, etc.).

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Exit

Syntax: Exit "title" "message"

Exit the publication with an optional confirming dialog box. Leave title and message fields blank if you wish the user to exit immediately with no dialog box being displayed.

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FileCopy

Syntax: FileCopy "source filename" "destination filename"

Copy the contents of an external file to a new file.

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FileDelLine

Syntax: FileDelLine "filename" "line number"

Delete a specific line from an external data file. In the example below, readers are asked if they wish to delete an item which is stored on a line in the PARTS.DAT file. Their response is stored in a variable named "[Answer]". If the response is Yes (1), the line is removed from the file.

E.g.:	MessageBox "Delete" "Delete item #[ItemNum]?" "Yes|No" "[Answer]"

If "[Answer]" "=" "1"

FileDelLine "parts.dat" "[ItemNum]"

EndIf

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FileErase

Syntax: FileErase "filename"

Erase an external file.

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FileInsLine

Syntax: FileInsLine "filename" "line number to insert"

Insert a blank line into an external data file. The following example inserts a new first line (line 1) in the file PARTS.DAT.

E.g.:	FileInsLine "parts.dat" "1"

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FileLen

Syntax: FileLen "filename" "variable name"

Finds the number of lines contained in an external file. The data from the line will be stored in the variable specified. The following example calculates the number of lines in the file PARTS.DAT, and stores the number of lines in the [Lines] variable.

E.g.:	FileLen "parts.dat" "[Lines]"

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FileRead

Syntax: FileRead "filename" "line number" "variable name"

Read data from a specific line number in an external file. The data from the line will be stored in the variable specified. The following example uses FileRead to build a menu from the contents of the PARTS.DAT data file. Each line is read and placed into the menu (the [MenuChoices] variable), the Math function is used to increment the line number to read (the [Count] variable) for the next item on the menu, and the menu options are displayed using the MenuEx action command.

E.g.:	SetVar "[MenuItem]" "x"

SetVar "[MenuChoices]"

SetVar "[Count]" "1"

While "MenuItem]" ">" ""

FileRead "parts.dat" "[Count]" "[MenuItem]"

If "[MenuItem]" ">" ""

If "[MenuChoices]" ">" ""

SetVar "[MenuChoices]" "[MenuChoices] |"

EndIf

SetVar "[MenuChoices]" "[MenuChoices] [MenuItem]"

Endif

Math "[Count]+1" "0" "[Count]"

Endwhile

MenuEx "-1" "-1" "[MenuChoices]" "[Result]"

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FileWrite

Syntax: FileWrite "filename" "line number" "data"

Write data to a specific line number in an external file. Use "Append" in place of a line number to add the data to the end of the file.

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Find

Syntax: Find "first page name|second page name"

Display a text search dialog box. Searches may be limited to a group of pages, the current page, or the entire publication. Separate page names with the "|" character. Pages will be searched in the order listed. Use "ALL" to search all pages, or use "CURRENT" to search only the current page.

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GotoPage

Syntax: GotoPage "page name"

Go to a specific page.

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GotoFirstPage

Syntax: GotoFirstPage

Go to the first page in the publication.

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GotoLastPage

Syntax: GotoLastPage

Go to the last page in the publication.

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GotoNextPage

Syntax: GotoNextPage

Go to the next page appearing in the publication.

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GotoPreviousPage

Syntax: GotoPreviousPage

Go to the page in the publication which occurs just before the current page.

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GotoLine

Syntax: GotoLine "line number in script"

Go to a specified line number or label in this action script and continue execution from that point.

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If

Syntax: If "first statement" "operator" "second statement"

Change the flow of the action's execution, based on the results of a comparison between two variables. If the statement is true, this action executes the action script which follows until an "EndIf" or "Else" action is encountered. Otherwise, it will execute the action script beginning with the first line following the next "Else" (optional) or "EndIf" command. The following conditional operators are accepted in If action commands: =, <, >, <>, <=, >=. In the example below, a button is set up to check that a name has been entered into a text field with the [Name] variable, before the next page may be accessed. If no name had been entered, the computer will beep and display an Alert message.

E.g.:	If "[Name]" "<>" ""

GotoNextPage

Else

SoundBuzzer

AlertBox "Forgot your name?" "You must enter your name before continuing."

EndIf

You could also use this function to detect correct entry of a password.

E.g.:	If "[Password]" "=" "ST0172"

GotoNextPage

Else

SoundBuzzer

AlertBox "Invalid Password" "The password is incorrect."

EndIf

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ImageWindow

Syntax: ImageWindow "title" "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "filename"

Display a bitmap image file in a movable window. Use -1 for left and top to center the window on the screen.

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place the window by clicking on the Placement/Scale button on the right side of the dialog.

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InternetLink

Syntax: InternetLink "URL address"

Launch this computer's internet browser, and go directly to the specified web page or ftp site (requires internet account/connection and installed browser software).

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Math

Syntax: Math "calculation" "no. of decimal places" "result variable"

Perform a mathematical calculation, and store results in a variable. You may use most of the standard functions, such as + - * / sin cos atan sqr sqrt round and trunc. You may also create complex equations using parentheses and author-defined variables. Note that variables are always surrounded by square brackets "[ ]" and may be used almost anywhere in NeoBook in addition to or in place of text. You may use the following operators in your Math calculations: +, -, *, /, abs, sin, cos, atan, sqr, sqrt, round, trunc, (, ). In the example below, the Math function uses the variable [MonthlyRent] to complete the computation. [MonthlyRent] could be set using the SetVar action, or associated with a Text Entry button to allow the user to enter a number. The result contains two decimal places (the second parameter), and is stored in the variable [WeeklyRent]. The [WeeklyRent] variable might then be displayed in Title Text or an Alert Box (e.g., Alert "Result" "The answer is [WeeklyRent]").

Example: Math "([MonthlyRent]*12)/52" "2" "[WeeklyRent]"

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MCICommand

Syntax: MCICommand "command"

Send a command to the Windows Media Control Interface (MCI). Provides high-level access to various multimedia devices. For more information about MCI commands, see the Windows SDK documentation from Microsoft. MCICommand will return a zero or an error number in the global variable [MCIResult].

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Menu

Syntax: Menu "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "first selection|second selection"

Display a popup menu. The the script command on one of the following lines which corresponds to the selected option will be executed. E.g., If there are three selections in your menu, the first selection will choose the line immediately following the Menu action line; the second will use the second action following the Menu line; the third will use the action on the third line following the Menu.

Use -1 for left and top to center menu on screen. Separate selections with the "|" character. Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place the menu by clicking on the Placement button on the right side of the dialog. The example below supplies three choices to the reader, then displays an AlertBox corresponding to the item selected:

E.g.:	Menu "-1" "-1" "Apples|Oranges|Grapes"

AlertBox "" "You have selected Apples"

AlertBox "" "You have selected Oranges"

AlertBox "" "You have selected Grapes"

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MenuEx

Syntax: "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "selection 1|selection 2" "variable name"

Display a custom menu of options, and store the selected option as a number (1 for first, 2 for second ... or zero for none) in a variable. Since the answer is stored as a variable which may be written to a file or used in calculations, this form of menu is better to use for quizzes, order forms, etc. Use -1 for left and top to center menu on screen. Separate selections with the "|" character. Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place the menu by clicking on the Placement button on the right side of the dialog. In the example below, three choices are offered to the reader. When a choice is made, the number of the item chosen is placed in the [Result] variable, and an AlertBox corresponding to the item selected is displayed:

E.g.:	MenuEx "-1" "-1" "Apples|Oranges|Grapes" "[Result]"

If "[Result]" "=" "1"

AlertBox "" "You have selected Apples"

EndIf

If "[Result]" "=" "2"

AlertBox "" "You have selected Oranges"

EndIf

If "[Result]" "=" "3"

AlertBox "" "You have selected Grapes"

EndIf

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MessageBox

Syntax: MessageBox "title" "message" "selection 1|selection 2" "variable name"

Display a custom message box and store the selected option as a number (1 for first, 2 for second ... or zero for none) in a variable. separate selections with the "|" character. In the example below, the reader is asked to rate his/her mood (stored in the [Mood] variable), and is presented with an AlertBox corresponding to what is selected:

E.g.:	MessageBox "Good Morning" "How do you feel today?" "Good|Fair|Poor" "[Mood]"

If "[Mood]" "=" "1"

AlertBox "" "That's wonderful!"

EndIf

If "[Mood]" "=" "2"

AlertBox "" "I hope your mood improves."

EndIf

If "[Mood]" "=" "3"

AlertBox "" "That's too bad."

EndIf

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PlayCartoonFile

Syntax: PlayCartoonFile "start from left" "start from top" "end from left" "end from top" "filename" "times to play" "delay" "mode"

Play an animation file generated by NeoBook's NeoToon module. Specify start and ending coordinates for the path over which the animated sprite will travel (use -1 to center on page), followed by the file name and the number of times the animation will cycle between the start and end points. Use the Speed control in the Insert Action dialog to indicate the amount of delay (in milliseconds) to place between each frame in the animation during playback. Use the final parameter to indicate whether the script continues executing ("Normal" mode) once the animation begins, if the animation will run continuously between the start and end points in "Loop" mode, or if the animation must complete ("Wait" mode) before the next action is executed. You may use StopMedia on another button to halt an animation in progress.

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may easily place a path for the animation to follow by clicking on the Placement/Scale button on the right side of the dialog.

PlayFlicFile

Syntax: PlayFlicFile "from left" "from top" "width" "height" "filename" "times to play" "mode"

Play a Flic-format animation (FLI/FLC) file. Use -1 in left and top values to center on page. Use -1 for width and height to play at original size. Specify the number of times to play the animation in the times to play field. Use the final parameter to indicate whether the script continues executing ("Normal" mode) once the animation begins, if the animation will run continuously from the start point to the end point in "Loop" mode, or if the animation must complete ("Wait" mode) before the next action is executed. Use StopMedia to halt an animation in progress.

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place and scale the animation by clicking on the Placement/Scale button on the right side of the dialog.

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PlaySoundFile

Syntax: PlaySoundFile "filename" "until"

Play an audio (WAV) or music (MDI) sound file. Use NORMAL to start the sound playback and continue with the next action in the script. Use WAIT to finish sound file before continuing. Use LOOP to play file in a continuous loop. Note: only one of each type of sound file may be played at a time.  Use StopMedia to halt audio playback in progress.

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PlayTone

Syntax: PlayTone "frequency"

Play a tone (specified in Hertz) on the internal PC speaker.

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PlayVideoFile

Syntax: PlayVideoFile "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "width" "height" "filename" "mode"

Play a video or animation (AVI/MOV/MPG) file. Use -1 in left and top values to center on page. Use -1 for width and height to play at original size. Use the final parameter to indicate whether the script continues executing ("Normal" mode) once the video begins, if the video will run continuously from the start point to the end point (in "Loop" mode), or if the video must run completely ("Wait" mode) before the next action is executed.  Use StopMedia to halt a video playback in progress.

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place and scale the video by clicking on the Placement/Scale button on the right side of the dialog.

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PopupImage

Syntax: PopupImage "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "filename" "delay" "effect name" "speed"

Display a bitmap image file with an optional special effect, and wait for a mouse click, key press or a specified number of milliseconds. Use -1 in left and top values to center on page. Use "0" (zero) in the delay field to wait for the user to click or press a key. For the effect's speed, use values from 0 (fastest) to 10 (slowest).

Special effects include: : "None", "Dissolve", "Slide Left", "Slide Right", "Slide Up", "Slide Down", "Explode", "Implode", "Weave Horizontal", "Weave Vertical", "Split Horizontal", "Split Vertical", "Wipe Left", "Wipe Right", "Wipe Up", and "Wipe Down".

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place and scale the picture by clicking on the Placement/Scale button on the right side of the dialog.

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PrintDataFile

Syntax: PrintDataFile "header text" "footer text" "filename"

Print an external ASCII data file (usually created with the FileWrite action).

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PrintImageFile

Syntax: PrintImageFile "filename" "scale factor"

Print a bitmap image file.

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PrintPage

Syntax: PrintPage "page name"

Print a specific page from this publication.

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PrintTextFile

Syntax: PrintTextFile "header text" "footer text" "filename"

Print an ASCII text file.

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Random

Syntax: Random "maximum value" "variable name"

This action generates a random number between zero and the maximum you specify. The resulting random number can be stored in a variable. In the example below, the publication's screen width and height are determined, and the Random action is used to place an image at a random location (generating variables for "X" "Y" horizontal/vertical coordinates and delay "L"ength of display) on the screen:

E.g.:	:Start

SystemInfo "PubWidth" "[PW]"

SystemInfo "PubHeight" "[PH]"

Random "[PW]" "[X]"

Random "[PH]" "[Y]"

Random "5000" "[L]"

PopupImage "[X]" "[Y]" "C:\IMAGES\FLOWER.BMP" "[L]" "Dissolve" "0"

GotoLine ":Start"

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ReturnToPage

Syntax: ReturnToPage

Return to the last page viewed by the reader.

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SearchStr

Syntax: SearchStr "search for" "string name" "variable name"

Search for a substring within a text string, and store the position of the first character of a substring (or zero, if not located) in a variable. The following example searches for blank spaces within the [Name] variable, stores the location of the blank space in the [SpacePos] variable, then uses the StrDel action to delete the blank space and stores the modified result back into the [Name] variable. This continues until no more spaces are detected within [Name]:

E.g.:	SearchStr " " "[Name]" "[SpacePos]"

While "[SpacePos]" ">" "0"

SearchStr " " "[Name]" "SpacePos"

StrDel "[Name]" "[SpacePos]" "1" "[Name]"

EndWhile

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SetFont

Syntax: SetFont "font name" "size" "style"

Set the font used for printing and displaying text files. Use with the PrintTextFile and TextWindow actions.

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SetVar

Syntax: SetVar "name" "value"

Set the name and value for a variable. To reset a nubmer to zero, use 0. To reset a text field to blank, use "". In the example below, the [Price] variable is set to "49.95" and the [Name] variable is set to "Ralph Jones":

E.g.:	SetVar "[Price]" "49.95"

SetVar "[Name]" "Ralph Jones"

You may also use SetVar to modify or combine existing variables:

E.g.:	SetVar "[FullName]" "[LastName], [FirstName] [MiddleName]"

SetVar "[DisplayPrice]" "$[Price]"

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SoundBuzzer

Syntax: SoundBuzzer

Play an error-type tone on the internal PC speaker.

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StickyNote

Syntax: StickyNote "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "message" "delay"

Display a yellow sticky note containing a message on the screen. Use -1 in left and top values to center on page. Use "0" (zero) in the delay field to wait for the user to click or press a key.

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place the message by clicking on the Placement button on the right side of the dialog.

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StopMedia

Syntax: StopMedia "filename"

Stop an individual, or all, currently playing media (sound, video or animation) file(s). Leave the filename blank to stop all playing media. Use "Sound" as the filename value to stop all audio playback. Use "Video" as the filename value to halt all video playback.

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StrDel

Syntax: StrDel "source string" "starting position" "number of characters to delete" "variable name"

Delete characters from a string, and store the result as a variable. In the example below, the variable [Word] contains 23 letters and we need to abbreviate this to fit into a position that only has room for 20 letters. This action goes to position 21 and strips off three characters, then stores the result in the [DisplayWord] variable:

E.g.:	StrDel "[Word]" "21" "3" "[DisplayWord]"

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StrIns

Syntax: StrIns "source string" "destination string" "character position at which to insert" "variable name"

Inserts a string into another string at the position specified, and stores the edited string into a variable. In the example below let's assume the variable [Day] contains a value of 22, and the variable [MonthYear] contains "October 1998". The result is the variable [DayMonthYear] which contains the value "22, October 1998":

E.g.:	StrLen "[Day], " "[MonthYear]" "1" "[DayMonthYear]"

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StrLen

Syntax: AlertBox "string name" "variable name"

Calculate the length of a text string and store the results in a variable. In the example below, the [Name] variable currently contains the string "Harold". Since this string contains six characters, the example action will place a value of "6" into the [Size] variable:

E.g.:	StrLen "[Name]" "[Size]"

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SubStr

Syntax: SubStr "string name" "start at character" "number to copy" "variable name"

Copy a portion of a text string and place the results in a variable. In the example below, the variable "[ST]" has a value of "ABCDEFG", so this action delivers the value "CD" (i.e., the C is the 3rd character, and the action asks for two characters beginning at C):

E.g.:	SubStr "[St]" "3" "2" "[NewSt]"

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SystemInfo

Syntax: SystemInfo "information type" "variable name"

Obtain information about this computer and store the results in a variable. Information types include: PubAuthor, PubColors, PubDir, Pub Height, PubWidth, PubTitle, ScreenColors, ScreenHeight, Screen Width, SystemDir, TempDir, WindowsDir, UserName. In the example below, the colors resolution of the user's system is compared to the color resolution used in the publication, and a message is displayed if the user's system is running a lower resolution:

E.g.:	SystemInfo "ScreenColors" "[ScreenMode]"

SystemInfo "PubColors" "[PubMode]"

If "[PubMode]" ">" "[ScreenMode]"

AlertBox "Notice!" "This program requires [PubMode] colors in order to display|properly. Since Windows is currently running in [ScreenMode] color|mode, then you will not be viewing this program under|optimal conditions."

EndIf

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TextWindow

Syntax: TextWindow "window title" "pixels from left" "pixels from top" "filename"

Places a text file in a movable window. Use -1 in left and top values to center on page.

Note that when using the Insert Action tool, you may place the window by clicking on the Placement button on the right side of the dialog.

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While

Syntax: While "variable statement" "operator" "value "

Repeat a series of actions until a specified condition is met. The following conditional operators are accepted in While action commands: =, <, >, <>, <=, >=. In the following example, 100 tones are played using the PlayTone action. The sound begins at a frequency of 0 Hertz, and is incremented by 25 Hertz, until 100 tones have been played in sequence:

E.g.:	SetVar "[Count]" "0"

SetVar "[Freq]" "0"

While "[Count]" "<" "100"

Math "[Count]+1" "0" "[Count]"

Math "[Freq]+25" "0" "[Freq]"

PlayTone "[Freq]"

EndWhile

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Hypertext
Inserting Hypertext Links Into Text Files

Hypertext codes may be inserted into text files to allow your readers to jump to other sections, etc. Hypertext may be inserted into your text files while you edit them in any ASCII/ANSI text editor. You may also insert hypertext commands into titles and captions created with the Title tool.

Action Events

Action events are set up just as for buttons and hotspots. The commands you may use are explained in the Action Event section. Simply precede the command with ^L and follow this with the word you wish to make a highlighted clickable link. Follow this word with an equal sign (=) then type the command into the text just as it would appear for a button. End the link with ^l (be certain to use a capital L before the link and a lower case L at the end of the link).

Example:

"the large blue heron ate many ^Lfish=Gotopage "Fishes"^l while ..."  would appear as:

"the large blue heron ate many fish while ..."  and clicking on the underlined word "fish" would take readers to the "Fishes" page of the publication.

Hint: if you cannot remember the syntax for a command, bring up NeoBook along with your text editor. Create a button and use NeoBook's Insert Action dialog to write the command for the action(s) you wish to use in the text. Then use the copy command to copy the command from the dialog and use your text editor's Paste command to insert it into your text file.

Jump within Document

NeoBook also makes it possible to jump directly to another section of the same document. To do this you must  insert two codes: one to give the reader highlighted text to click, and the second to place an invisible mark at the target to which the reader will jump when the highlighted link is clicked.

The link is created by preceding the jump command with ^L followed by the word you wish to make a highlighted clickable link. Follow this word with an equal sign plus a colon (=:), then type the name you will use to mark the target. End the link with ^l (be certain to use a capital L before the link and a lower case L at the end of the link).

Example:

To go directly to the story, ^LPUSHME=:TARGET^l   would display as:

To go directly to the story, PUSHME   - and clicking on the word "PUSHME" will cause NeoBook to attempt to take the reader the part of the text containing the "TARGET" mark.

To mark the place in the text to which to jump, type ^M and follow this with the word you are using to mark the target., then end the mark with ^m (be certain to use a capital M before the mark and a lower case m at the end of the mark).

^MTARGET^m

Note that you cannot jump between documents, nor can you combine a jump with other action events.


Format Text

You may use the following formatting codes when creating an article with your text editor. These may be inserted into the text using the "^" (caret) character (not the CTRL key, but the actual "^" character). Click on one of titles below to view formatting codes:

-Bold- -Italic- -Underline- -Reverse Video- -Tab- -Center- -Caret- -Hypertext-

Also note: As ASCII text files contain no paragraph formatting information, you must place a double carriage return (ENTER-ENTER) at the end of each paragraph to notify NeoBook to break at that point.

Bold

Use "^B" at the start of the portion which is to display as bold text. To turn bold off, place a "^b" at the end of the section of text which is to be bold.

Usage:   Typing the line "I want a ^Bbigger^b dog." displays as, "I want a bigger dog."

Italic

Use "^I" at the start of the portion which is to display in italics. To turn italics off, place a "^i" at the end of the italicized section of text.

Usage:   Typing the line "I want a ^Ibigger^i dog." displays as,  "I want a bigger dog."

Underline

Use "^U" at the start of the underlined text. To turn the underscore off, place a "^u" at the end of the section of text which is to be underlined.

Usage:   Typing the line "I want a ^Ubigger^u dog."  displays as,  "I want a bigger dog."

Reverse Video

Use "^R" at the start of the portion which is to display as reversed text (e.g., white text on black background). To return the text to normal, place a "^r" at the end of the section of text which is to be reversed.

Usage:   Typing the line "I want a ^Rbigger^r dog."  displays as: "I want a bigger dog."

Tab

To tab text from the left margin, insert a "^T" followed immediately by a number. The number should represent the number of M-width spaces. To tab text from a spot within a line, insert a "^S" followed by the number of spaces to tab.

Usage:   Typing the line: "I want ^T16 a bigger dog."  displays as,

"I want 	a bigger dog."

Centering

If the center code is included on a line along with other codes listed above, the "^C" should be the innermost code. End centered text with "^c".

Usage:   Typing the line: "^B^CDogs For Sale^c^b"  displays as,

"Dogs For Sale"

Caret Symbol

If you need to display the caret character in your article, type two carets not separated by a space.

Usage:   Typing the line: "My rabbit wants a ^^!"  displays as,  "My rabbit wants a ^!"


Button Functions
Setting Button Functions

When you create or edit a button or hot-spot, you are presented with options which will control how the button is used and how it operates when the user clicks on it. Use the Run command and Debug window to test buttons. The possible options for each button are arranged in three tabbed pages: General Settings, Button Style and Button Action. Click on any tab to go to that page of options.

General Settings

You may place a short description, instructions, etc. on the button's face. Use the Text field to type what will appear on the button's face.

You may set the font and size of the text using the Font function on the Tool Bar. You may also set the alignment for the button's text using one of the three Alignment buttons: Left Alignment (left side button), Centered (center button) or Right Aligned (right side button).

If you would like to give the user the choice of either clicking or typing a key to activate the button, you may type the key to use in the Shortcut Key field. You may use a single key not used by other buttons on this page, or you may use a combination keystroke (such as CTRL + R). Note that you usually should give your user some indication as to which key activates the button. Most authors use an underlined character in the text appearing on the button (set the underlined character by typing a caret "^" in front of the letter to be underlined). Another option is to change your text to read something like "P=Return to Previous Page."

Button Style

You may select from four different Types of controls. When the user clicks on a Push Button (or types its Shortcut Key), an Action event will occur (such as turning to another screen page). This is the simplest and most common control type. If you would rather create your own button shape, you may specify images to use when the button is Up (unclicked) or down (clicked). You may create and edit these images in an icon editor (such as NeoSoft's Icon Editor), your paint program or image editor. (Note: that the pixel in the lower-left corner of these images will be seen by NeoBook as the color you wish to be displayed as transparent. The background will show through all pixels in the image which match this color.)

If you choose Text Entry, your user will be presented with a box into which he or she may type information. The user's input may then be saved as a variable by specifying a unique "Variable Name," and written to a file, etc. (see the Button Action topic, below). You may also specify how many characters (up to 255) the user may type in this field.

The Check Box type allows your user to select/deselect multiple options, while the Radio Button type is used when you wish to limit the user to a single choice (i.e., only one radio button may be selected at any one time, all other radio buttons are automatically deselected when another is chosen). Both of the Check Box and Radio Button controls require that you specify a variable name (which may be written to a file, etc., see Button Action topic, below). You may also specify whether this control initially appears selected or unchecked.

Button Action

This section allows you to specify what will occur when the button is pressed. The button can perform a single action (such as turning to another screen page) or a series of actions (such as displaying a message, then playing a sound file). Creating commands for most button actions is quite easy. Simply click on the Insert Action Command arrow, and choose an action from the list. A short description of each command will be displayed in a small yellow window as you move through the commands with your mouse. If, after you select a command, NeoBook needs more information (such as the name of the page to which to send users), a short dialog will pop-up to allow you to provide details. The various actions a button can perform are listed in the Action Event section.

Once you have selected a command, the text of the command will be written in the editing area. You may choose another command if you wish a single button to execute more than one action. When buttons are activated, the button actions will be executed in the order in which they are listed. You can use the cut/paste tools to change the order of the list. If you wish to edit a command, simply double-click on the command line, and you may change any of that command's parameters.


Creating a Publication
14 Steps to Create Your First Publication

This section will take you, step by step, through the process of creating your first NeoBook publication. Clicking on the highlighted words will take you to more information about that subject. To return to this screen, click on Windows Help's "Back" button.

Once you are familiar with the interface and how the tools work, you should have little trouble placing your own text, images, command buttons, etc. to construct more elaborate works. We also strongly suggest you learn how various types of publications are constructed by examining the sample publication files which are included with NeoBook (use the File/Open command to load these). You can even change these samples to suit your needs. Constructing a publication is actually very simple, even though we've broken it down into many steps here. If you choose to go through these steps, we suggest resizing the NeoBook window and this Help window, so they can be displayed at the same time.

Step 1- Starting NeoBook

Step 2- Linking NeoBook to Other Software

Step 3- Publication-wide Parameters

Step 4- Setting the Number of Pages

Step 5- Master Controls

Step 6- Using the Tool Palette

Step 7- The First Page

Step 8- Page Attributes

Step 9- Placing a Title

Step 10- Placing Long Text

Step 11- Inserting an Illustration

Step 12- Disabling a Button from the Master Page

Step 13- Invisible Buttons

Step 14- Running the Publication

Starting NeoBook

When you enter NeoBook, a new, blank publication will be loaded into the editing area which occupies the main part of the screen. The floating Tool Palette, containing the tools you need to edit your publication is also present.

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Linking NeoBook to Other Software

If this is the first time you are using the software, you will want to link your favorite text editor, paint program and/or sound editor to NeoBook to make it easier to edit text, images and audio files.

Select Options from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Next, choose the Set Preferences option at the bottom of the drop down menu, and click on the Utilities tab.

Type in the program filename and path for each type of software in the corresponding field, or simply click on the folder button on the right side to scroll through the programs and directories on your system.

Once you have set up the Preferences options, your choices will automatically be used each time you start NeoBook.

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Publication-wide Parameters

Now we will start to work on our publication itself.

First, click on the Book menu at the top of the screen

Select Book Setup from the menu. Here we will specify how our publication will be used by our readers. This will bring up a dialog with tabs across the top.

Click on the Size/Colors tab and choose one of the 640x480 sizes listed.

Next, click on the Access Controls tab and set the check boxes so that only "Allow ESC Key to Exit" contains a check mark.

Finally, click on the Publication tab and enter your name as "Author" and click the OK button.

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Setting the Number of Pages

Now we can specify how many screen pages will appear in our publication.

Click on the Page menu at the top of the screen, then choose Add from the menu.

Since this is just an example, we’ll just use two pages. Click on the Insert field to add one additional page After page #1 -- you can always return later and use this command to add more pages.

Click on the OK button.

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Master Controls

The Master Page is used to set up page turning controls and other objects which will appear on most pages of your publication. To go to the Master Page, select the center icon button on the button bar at the top/right of the screen, or select the Page menu and choose the Goto Master Page command. The page number indicator in the screen’s bottom right corner now reads "Master Page."

The Master Page is initially blank.

Choose the Button tool from the Tool Palette.

Move the cursor to the bottom third of the screen page.

Press down and hold the left mouse button while you drag out a box the size of the button you wish to make. Once the button is the right size, release the mouse button. Don’t worry if it’s not in the correct location or if it’s the wrong size, you can change that later.

A dialog box with several tabs along the top will appear, allowing you to set the appearance and functions for the button.

Under the General Settings tab, type "Next" into the Button Text field.

Click on the Button Action tab and then click on the Insert Action Command button and scroll down the list until you reach "GotoNextPage."

Click on the word "GotoNextPage" and the action will be entered into the list of commands for the button.

Now you may click on the OK button to tell NeoBook that you are satisfied with these selections.

The button you just created will be drawn once you select OK. Notice that the button is surrounded by eight small black boxes. These indicate that the object (in this case a button) is currently selected and that you may change its characteristics. Using the Arrow selector tool to click on other objects or areas causes the button to be deselected, and clicking on an unselected item selects and surrounded it with the black boxes.

Click and hold the left mouse button on one of the black boxes, then drag the cursor to a new location before releasing to resize the box.

Click and hold in the center of the selected area then drag the whole box to a new location.

With your new button selected, choose the Edit menu at the top of the screen, then select Duplicate from the menu. A second, identical button will appear on your screen.

Use your mouse to drag this second button to a position alongside the first.

Select this new button and choose Edit at the screen top.

Select Edit Object from the menu and type "Previous" in the Button Text field.

Click on the Button Action tab, then select the "GotoNextPage" command listed on the window. Use your delete key to remove the command (or click on the trash can icon). Next, click on the Insert Action Command button, and scroll down and click on "GotoPrevPage."

Finally, click OK -- you have created a second button!

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Using the Tool Palette

At this point, you may wish to arrange the two buttons on the page using the mouse to select and then drag each button to a new location. You may also add ruling lines, boxes and other graphical elements which will be common to most of the pages of your publication.

Click on the line, rectangle or ellipse tool, then use the same click and dragging action which we used to create the first button. If you make a mistake, use Undo under the Edit menu to remove the change.

Options to change the color, pattern, line and title fonts are on the right side of the Tool Palette.

Click on the Palette or Roll-up buttons to expand or shrink the palette. From the expanded palette, you may change the selected object’s Fill Color, Fill Pattern, Line Color, Line Width, and Line Style. If the selected object contains text, you may change to a new Font and Font Color.

If the Tool Palette gets in your way, you can click and hold the on palette’s title bar and drag the whole palette to a new location.

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The First Page

Now that we’ve placed two basic page turning controls on the Master Page, we can move on to set up the first page of the publication.

Select the Page menu at the top of the screen.

Choose Goto... from the menu.

Select page 1 and click on the OK button.

Note that the page indicator at the bottom/right corner of the screen now shows you are on page 1 of 2. Since this is the first page readers will see, we need to include a title, plus a few instructions for using the publication.

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Page Attributes

Next, let’s change the page background to something other than bright white. To do this, we use the Page Attributes selection under the Page menu.

Click on the Page menu at the top of the screen.

Select Page Attributes.

Click to activate the Solid Color radio button.

To the right of the Solid Color field, click on the arrow button to drop down a palette of available colors.

Select a color for the screen background.

Make sure a check mark appears next to the Show items from Master Page option. This enables the buttons we just created on the Master Page to be active on this page.

Click to mark the Copy to All Pages option at the bottom of the dialog. This saves you from having to set these options for other pages.

Note: If you would prefer using a picture, instead of a color, for your background, use the Wallpaper field to choose an image file, rather than the Solid Color field as in the example above.

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Placing a Title

Captions, titles and other short text may be inserted using the Title tool. The Title tool is the button containing the large "A" on the Tool Palette.

Click on the Title tool.

Move the cursor to the lower right portion of the screen and click at the point where you wish to begin the text.

In the Title Text field, type "Use mouse to select buttons" then press the Enter key and type "Use ESC key to Exit".

Click on the OK button.

Next, move the cursor towards the center of the page where you wish to place the title and click.

In the Title Text field, type "Amazing Bargains."

Click on the OK button.

You may choose a different font by selecting the text, then choosing the Font option from the expanded Tool Palette.

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Placing Long Text

Now that the title page contains a title and basic instructions, we can concentrate on the main information page of our two-page publication. First we need to go to the second page.

Select the Page menu at the top of the screen.

Choose Goto... from the menu.

Select page 2 and click on the OK button. Note that the page indicator at the bottom/right corner of the screen changes to show that you are on page 2 of 2. Now we will place a long block of text in the upper right section of the page.

Click on the Article tool (the button containing a picture showing a stack of pages) from the Tool Palette.

Move the cursor to the top/center of the page, and while holding down the left mouse button, drag out a frame to contain the text (you may resize this later).

Find the NEOBOOK directory folder (or the directory into which you installed the NeoBook program). Scroll down through the files and select the file README.TXT (or another ASCII text file from your system) from the list.

Click on the OK button and the text will be inserted into the frame.

If desired, you may change scroll bars, etc. using the Edit Object command under the Edit command button. Colors, Font and surrounding Line may be changed using the options on the expanded Tool Palette. The text in the article itself may be edited using the Create/Edit command under the Edit button.

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Inserting an Illustration

Now we’ll dress up this page with an illustration.

Choose the Picture tool from the Tool Palette.

Drag out a frame to contain the picture.

Select an image from the files on your system.

You may size the picture to fit the frame, add scroll bars, etc. using the Edit Object command under the Edit command button. The image itself may be edited using the Create/Edit command under the Edit button.

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Disabling a Button from the Master Page

Since this is the last page of our example publication, the reader will not be able to use the Next Page button. We will disable this button by drawing another button over the "Next Page" button which shows through from the Master Page.

Select the Button tool from the Tool Palette.

Drag out a button to cover the "Next" Page button.

Under "General Settings," do not type anything in the Button Text field.

Use the default Push Button under the "Button Style" tab.

Select "SoundBuzzer" from the Insert Action Command list (under the "Button Action" tab).

Click on OK.

Click on the Selector Arrow tool from the Tool Palette.

Select the button you just created.

From the expanded Tool Palette, select a Fill Pattern other than "Solid (S)" or "Hollow (H)."

This creates a button which shades the button beneath to indicate that it no longer functions. The button will beep if pressed.

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Invisible Buttons

You may create hot areas on the screen which, when clicked, result in display of text, image pop-ups, sound or other actions. If you would like to try doing this, create a button which contains no Button Text. Choose "Hollow" as the Fill Pattern, and a Line Width of "None."

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Running the Publication

You may test your publication by using the Run command under the Book menu at the top of the screen. When you are satisfied, and wish to produce a stand-alone electronic publication which you may distribute, choose Compile from the Book menu, and assign a filename for the stand-alone EXE to contain your work.

Note: if you wish to come back to your publication and make changes, be sure and save your work using the Save command under the File button at the top of the screen.

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Select Location

Use this dialog to specify where to copy the files which comprise your publication.

At the top of the dialog is the Location  field, which indicates the path to where the files will be written. This is updated as you scroll through the directories and files shown in the File  window (see below) which is situated just below the Location  field.

In the File  window, you may double click on a drive letter  to change to that drive, or double click on a directory folder  to open that directory.

Double click on the folder pointing left (followed by two dots) to go back one level in the directory tree.

Double clicking on the folder which is followed by a backslash (\) will bring you to the root directory of the current drive.

Use the OK button to accept the location, or use the Cancel  button to abort the Selection  function.


Missing File(s)

If, when opening a publication,  there are files which are used in an existing publication that have been deleted or moved to a new location on your system, NeoBook will display a message listing the names of the files that could not be located, along with the pages in which they were used. It is suggested that you write down or print this information to make it easier to replace the missing files.

Click on the Print button to list the files NeoBook could not locate. Click on the Close button to return to NeoBook.


Titles and Captions

Use this tool to insert a short text section (such as for a caption or title) onto your screen page without importing a text file from a word processor or editor. Type your text into the large white area. You may choose the text's Alignment by clicking on the Left, Center and Right icons at the lower left of the dialog. Click on the Insert Special Text Code button (to the right of the Alignment buttons) to insert codes for special, variable items (such as the page's name, date, etc.). Click on OK to accept your changes, or click on Cancel to return to editing without making any changes.

Use the Font Color and Font tools to change the appearance of the text.  Text File tool to import long documents into your publication.


Select Page

This dialog appears when there are too many pages to display on the menu. To locate the page to which to jump, simply scroll down the list in the window at the left.

Check the Show Images dialog to display thumbnail views of the images on each page.


NeoToon: New
New

Use this function to load a blank editing window, ready for you to assemble your images into a new animation. You must specify a single size to be used for all frames in the animation (height and width are specified in pixels). If you wish to apply the size of the first frame you will use in the animation to all the frames, check the Use width and height from first frame box. Once you have edited the New animation, use the Save As function to store it on your disk.


NeoToon: Save As
Save As

When you have completed editing your animation, you can use this function to save it as a file on your disk. If you choose not to Save your work, it will be lost once you exit NeoToon.

The Save As  function will prompt you to provide a name for the file in which your work will be stored. You may provide a name for this file in the File Name: field, or you may use the file browser to jump to another directory. If you select a file which already exists, NeoToon will ask if you are certain you wish to replace the existing file contents with the new animation sequence.

Note that NeoToon animation files end with the three letter extension ".CAR".


NeoToon: Open
Open

This command allows you to select  a NeoToon animation's .CAR file to load into NeoToon for editing.


NeoToon: Save
Save

When you have completed editing your animation, you can use this function to save it as a file on your disk. If you choose not to Save your work, it will be lost once you exit NeoToon.

If your work has not previously been saved, you should use the Save As function to assign a name to the file in which the animation will be stored.


NeoToon: Exit
Exit

This command exits from the NeoToon utility and returns you to NeoBook or Windows.


NeoToon: Play
Preview Mode

When you click on the play button, NeoToon will go into Preview mode, which allows you to view the animation. Click on the image above for information about the controls in this mode.


NeoToon: About
About

Selecting this function displays information about NeoToon and how to contact NeoSoft Corp. about updates and technical support.


NeoToon: Add
Add

This function allows you to add a new frame to the animation strip. Select an image from the dialog. The image will be added to the end of the animation. If you wish to relocate the image, simply click on the new frame, and drag it to a new position.

Note that NeoToon will use the color of the pixel in the first frame's lower left corner as its transparent color. All colors in all frames which match this color will play as transparent when the animation is run. Use a color at this location (in the image placed in the first frame) which you've used to paint transparent areas in all images imported into this animation. If your animation will not use transparent areas, place a color at this pixel which is not used elsewhere in the images you will be importing into your animation.


NeoToon: Insert
Insert

This function allows you to import a new frame into the animation strip. Select an image from the dialog. The image will be inserted at the currently highlighted position, with the current and following frames playing after the newly inserted image. If you wish to relocate the image, simply click on the new frame, and drag it to a new position.


NeoToon

NeoToon allows you to assemble animations out of a series of image files from your paint or image editing application. These may be placed into your NeoBook (Windows version) publications using NeoBook's PlayCartoonFile action. Note that this module is not available in evaluation versions of NeoBook.

General Description | Menu Functions | NeoToon's Screen

General Description

NeoToon allows you to assemble individual pictures (cels or frames) into a single file, which can be played back efficiently. Changes in positions of objects in the pictures will be perceived as movement by viewers. Your NeoToon disk comes loaded with examples which illustrate how to produce various animated effects.

Assembling your animation is as simple as importing a series of images which you've created with a paint program, screen capture utility, etc. Many animation and video editing programs also allow you to export their animations as a series of images, which you may then import into NeoToon. NeoToon itself is not an image editor, you should use a paint/image/icon editing application for purposes of creating and adjusting the images you use in the animations.

Once you've assembled a series of frames, you may drag and drop frames to rearrange their appearance within the animation sequence. You may use NeoToon's Play function to preview your animation. When you are satisfied with how the animation plays, simply save the animation and return to NeoBook to load it into your publication. NeoToon animations are comparatively small in size, which is an advantage for purposes of including them in electronic publications.

Another advantage of NeoToon animations is that it allows you to designate a single color value as being transparent. NeoToon will use the color of the pixel in the first frame's lower left corner as its transparent color. All colors in all frames which match this color will play as transparent when the animation is run. Use a color at this location (in the image placed in the first frame) which you've used to paint transparent areas in all images imported into this animation. If your animation will not use transparent areas, place a color at this pixel which is not used elsewhere in the images you will be importing into your animation.

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Menu Functions

File	Frame

New	Add

Open	Insert

Save	Duplicate

Save As	Delete

Resize Cartoon	Export

Play

Exit

Help

Help Topics

About

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The Screen

At the top of NeoToon's window is its Windows title bar, below which is the Main Menu. Under this is a button bar, containing shortcuts for frequently used functions. At the right side of the button bar is a counter which displays the position of the currently selected (highlighted) frame, and the total number of frames in the animation.

Below the button bar is a film strip containing the frames used in the animation. You may click on an image to select it. You may drag and drop images to move them to new locations within the animation's sequence.

Below and to the right of the film strip are scroll bars which may be used to go to portions of the animation which are displayed outside NeoToon's window.

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NeoToon: Duplicate
Duplicate

This option places a copy of the currently selected frame into the strip immediately following the selected frame. If you wish to relocate the image, simply click on the new frame, and drag it to a new position. Since many animations have frames which repeat at some point, using this command will save time over using Add to re-import an image from your disk.


NeoToon: Delete
Delete

This option removes the currently selected frame from the animation strip.


NeoToon: Resize Cartoon
Resize Cartoon

Use this function to enlarge or reduce the frame size used for the animation (height and width are specified in pixels). If you wish to apply the size of the first frame in the animation to all the frames, check the Use width and height from first frame box.

Note: Once you have Saved an animation, all frames are the same size, and you must re-import an image which you wish to use at its original size.


NeoToon's Menu
NeoToon's menu bar.


NeoToon's Title Bar
NeoToon's title bar.


Play Animation
Use this button to preview your animation.


Number of Frames
Position of the currently selected frame, followed by the total number of frames in the animation.


NeoToon Editing Area
The main editing area where frames are arranged.


NeoToon Selected Frame
This highlighted area is the currently selected cel frame.


NeoToon Scroll Bar
Scroll bar. Drag the scroll bar's button to move to frames outside NeoToon's window.


NeoToon: Export
Export Frame

Use this function to export the currently selected frame cel as a bitmap image file. Type in the name of the file under which to save the frame. The image format used for the exported image depends on the 3-letter extension used. You may export in ".BMP", ".TIF", ".PCX", ".JPG", ".GIF", or ".PNG" formats.


NeoToon: Not Used
This item cannot be used in the current mode.


NeoToon's Preview
The animation will be previewed in this area of the window.


NeoToon's Speed Control
Drag the pointer to increase (right) or decrease (left) the speed at which the animation is previewed.


NeoToon's Halt
This button halts the preview and returns to editing mode.


NeoToon's First Frame
This button jumps to the first frame.


NeoToon's Back
This button goes back to the previous frame.


NeoToon's Play Button
This button begins playing the animation. Animation will stop when you press it again.


NeoToon's Forward
This button advances forward one frame.


NeoToon's Last
This button jumps to the last frame.


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